Chicago Bears 7-round Mock Draft: getting a QB, but not in the predicted spot

The Chicago Bears will face the biggest spotlight in the 2024 NFL Draft. After trading away their number one overall pick to the Carolina Panthers last season, they are reaping the rewards of that deal. The Panthers finished with the worst record in 2023, handing Chicago the top overall pick.

While the Bears being first on the clock in the 2024 NFL Draft is common knowledge, how they approach that pick is unknown. They could trade out of that pick to get more draft selections or pick a quarterback at number one.

If that’s their approach, they must finalize their decision with Justin Fields, whom they drafted in the first round of 2021 and gave a four-year, $18.8 million contract. But as Sportskeeda’s Mock Draft Simulator suggested, the Chicago Bears will still draft a quarterback. However, it won’t be with the top overall selection.

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Chicago Bears 7-round 2024 mock draft – Day 1

Chicago Bears Mock Draft - 2024 NFL Draft

Round 1, Pick 1: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State

Harrison Jr. will reportedly skip the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He doesn’t have to attend because his statistics and game tape speak for his game. He won the 2023 Biletnikoff Award after finishing with 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns against highly-rated Big Ten defenders. Pairing him with DJ Moore gives the Chicago Bears an impressive receiving duo.

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Round 1, Pick 5: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina

A hypothetical trade between the Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Chargers for the fifth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

The simulator suggested the Bears would trade up with the Los Angeles Chargers at number five. In return, they will surrender their 2024 ninth-overall pick, plus first, second, and fifth-round picks in the 2025 draft.

They will use the fifth overall pick for Drake Maye, the 2022 ACC Player of the Year. While he played in only 12 games last season, he finished with 269 completions for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns. Maye added nine rushing touchdowns and completed 63.3 percent of his throws.

Maye’s arrival means that Justin Fields won’t stay with Chicago for long. They can trade him this offseason or let him play out the final year of his rookie-scale contract. The latter option allows Maye to learn the game from the sideline without much pressure. However, the Chicago Bears will likely go for a trade to get something in return.

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Chicago Bears 7-round 2024 mock draft – Day 2

Round 3, Pick 75: Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State

Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan will be free agents, shortening the Bears’ depth chart if they join other teams. They can address the concern by selecting Sinnott as Cole Kmet’s backup. He is a respectable route runner with 676 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. Getting the former Wildcat offers them another option in the red zone or during third downs.

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Chicago Bears 7-round 2024 mock draft – Day 3

Round 4, Pick 111, Jahdae Barron, S, Texas

While Barron is a safety on record, the Bears can switch him to cornerback, helping a defense that ranked 25th in passing yards allowed per game (237.8) last season. Barron’s ball-tracking skills reduce the tendency of the Bears’ secondary to allow big plays.

Round 4, Pick 123: Devaughn Vele, WR, Utah

The Bears can add another big target in Vele, a 6’5” wideout with 593 yards and three touchdowns for Utah last season. He can make some receptions if opposing defenders cover Moore and Harrison Jr. He fights his way from the line of scrimmage and is a decent route runner who can beat press coverage.

Round 5, Pick 143: Tykee Smith, S, Georgia

The Chicago Bears must load up on the defensive secondary as they are in a division featuring Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Jameson Williams, and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Smith can hold his ground against wideouts, and his vision allows him to anticipate ball in zone coverage.