The Chicago Bears have been busy in the 2019 NFL free agency spending spree, although not quite at last year’s level when they signed players like Allen Robinson and Trey Burton.
Instead, GM Ryan Pace has focused on rounding out the roster with names like RB Mike Davis, WR/RB Cordarrelle Patterson, CB Buster Skrine and SAF HaHa Clinton-Dix.
The Bears also freed up a large sum of cap space by restructuring Khalil Mack’s contract, a move that led to speculation a bigger free agent was coming. That hasn’t been the case — yet — but there’s still another wave of signings on the horizon.
Until then, here’s our complete Bears mock draft, post-free agency edition.
Round 3: Darnell Savage | Safety | Maryland
Chicago has the luxury of going best player available in this year’s draft, and even with the signing of HaHa Clinton-Dix to replace Adrian Amos in the starting lineup, the Bears will still search for safety help from this year’s class. Savage is an aggressive player who can pack a punch much like Amos and can be groomed as a potential starter if Clinton-Dix doesn’t work out. At worst, he’d be an asset on special teams and an extremely valuable reserve/rotational player.
Savage finished 2018 with 38 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss.
Round 4: Corey Ballentine | CB | Washburn
The Bears lost Bryce Callahan to the Broncos in free agency and while Buster Skrine is an adequate replacement, GM Ryan Pace will search for a small-schooler with upside once again in the fourth round.
Ballentine is an intriguing prospect who has NFL size and speed (ran a 4.47 40-yard dash at the 2019 combine) and has the game-speed to match.
Ballentine had 50 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions, four pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 2018; that’s a stat sheet Pace will fall in love with. He also blocked three kicks on special teams.
Round 5: Devine Ozigbo | RB | Nebraska
No position has received as much offseason scrutiny in Chicago as running back, where the Bears are expected to move on from Jordan Howard at some point and turn the running game over to a combination of Mike Davis, Tarik Cohen and a rookie-to-be-named-later. In this mock draft, that rookie is Ozigbo.
The 6-0, 230-pound bruiser is a slightly quicker version of Howard and will give the Bears the kind of between-the-tackles presence that isn’t wouldn’t be on the roster if Howard is dealt. Drafting Ozigbo would be like adding a Howard-type with more upside in Nagy’s offense who’s reset at Year 1 of a rookie deal.
Ozigbo had 155 carries for 1,082 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2018.
Round 7: Brett Rypien | QB | Boise State
The Bears should draft a quarterback in 2019 for no other reason than to add another young arm in the system who can serve as a potential long-term backup for Mitchell Trubisky.
Rypien projects as a solid NFL backup who actually has some starter’s upside. He’ll probably slip to this range in the draft and would be great value for Chicago.
Rypien threw for 3,705 yards, 30 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season.
Round 7: Byron Cowart | EDGE | Maryland
In a roll-of-the-dice pick, GM Ryan Pace goes for the once-hyped Cowart, who received every major accolade as a high-school recruit. He initially enrolled at Auburn and fell way short of expectations. He struggled both on and off the field and ultimately left the Tigers program. After a season at JUCO, Cowart ended up in Maryland, where he finished the 2018 season playing in all 12 games and registered 38 tackles, three sacks and two interceptions.
He’s the kind of pick that’s made with the intention to add competition along the defensive front. If he hits, he could be a gem.
