The trade of Khalil Mack to the Chargers netted the Bears a second second-round pick, but the Bears are going to have to be deft in their selections to make this year’s draft worthwhile and accelerate their timeline.
Matt Eberflus is a coach with a defensive pedigree, but Chicago needs help on both sides of the ball. Although he wasn’t terribly productive in Chicago, Allen Robinson’s departure leaves a gap opposite Darnell Mooney at receiver, and Chicago’s secondary needs bodies.
It’s a tricky prospect to make this team better, but there are good pieces in place. The Bears also have the capital to move up in this year’s draft, but that will depend on Poles’ philosophy as a GM. If Ryan Pace showed one thing, it’s that over-aggressive doesn’t always yield results.
Here’s a look at the Bears’ picks in the 2022 NFL Draft:
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Bears draft picks 2022: Who did Chicago take?
Round 2, Pick No. 39: Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington Round 2, Pick No. 48: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State Round 3, Pick No. 71: Venus Jones Jr. , WR, Tennessee Round 5, Pick No. 168: Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah Round 5, Pick No. 174: Dominique Robinson, EDGE, Miami (Ohio) Round 6, Pick No. 186: Zach Thomas, G, San Diego State Round 6, Pick No. 203: Trestan Ebner, RB, Baylor Round 6, Pick No. 207: Doug Kramer, C, Illinois Round 7, Pick No. 226: Ja’Tyre Carter, G, Southern Round 7, Pick No. 254: Elijah Hicks, S, Cal Round 7, Pick No. 255: Trenton Gill, K, N. C. State
Click here for live analysis and grades on every pick.
Bears 2022 NFL Draft order
Bears NFL draft needs
Left Tackle: For the Bears, protecting Justin Fields is paramount. Chicago needs to make sure its future is secure in Fields, and that starts with covering the blind side. Fields was guilty of seeing ghosts at times last year, so putting in a tackle he can trust would be a good first step for the young quarterback. Wide Receiver: At wide receiver, the Bears have Darnell Mooney and new addition Byron Pringle. Allen Robinson never found his footing in Chicago, so adding another receiver will be important for Fields and the offense to get clicking. Even if they try to run predominately two-receiver sets – something we’re seeing less and less of in today’s NFL – all it would take is one injury for the Bears to have to rethink their entire receiving situation. Cornerback: Getting a corner opposite Jaylon Johnson has to be paramount for Eberflus’ defense. The Bears need to find some consistency at the cornerback position, and if teams can just headhunt whoever is opposite Johnson it eliminates the purpose of having elite talent on the outside. The Bears can get better, they just have to find the right player.
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Chicago Bears mock draft 2022
Here are the latest 2022 NFL Draft projections for the Seahawks, according to Vinnie Iyer’s seven-round mock draft:
