Chicago Bears load up on offense in latest 2-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft

It’s never too early to start looking ahead at next year’s draft class, and with training camp still a few days away, I decided to do a 2-round mock draft for the Chicago Bears.

For this mock, I used the brand-new, free-to-use mock draft simulator now available here on Bears Talk, the first mock draft simulator tailored exclusively to Bears fans. For now, the simulator has the Bears picking 10th overall (using the pick GM Ryan Poles acquired from the Carolina Panthers in March), 12th overall, and 44th overall in the second round.

Now let’s get to those picks!

Round 1 (via CAR): Joe Alt – OT, Notre Dame

In this mock, there was a run on EDGE rushers in the first nine picks, so I could not snag one of the premier pass rushers. However, the silver lining was that Joe Alt fell to me at 10th overall. Alt is by far the top offensive tackle prospect heading into the 2023 CFB season, and that doesn’t seem likely to change. He’s got flawless technique, brute strength, smarts, and a nasty disposition.

Look, I like Braxton Jones a lot. I think he will be a very good left tackle for the Bears in 2023 and beyond. But if a generational talent like Alt falls into my lap on draft night, I’m sprinting to the podium with his name on my card. Sorry Braxton, it’s nothing personal.

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Round 1: Emeka Egbuka – Receiver, Ohio State

When the Bears drafted running back Roschon Johnson in 2023, they got an electric player who would have been the clear first name on his team’s depth chart if it wasn’t for a truly generational talent above him. And if the Bears draft Emeka Egbuka, they’d be getting that again.

Though he plays second fiddle to the fantastic Marvin Harrison Jr, Egbuka is not just some guy. His crisp route running, steady hands, and electric run-after-the-catch ability would make him a dominant WR1 on almost any other team in the country, and that’s what he could be for Chicago.

I would love to see Marvin Harrison Jr playing in the Navy and Orange, but if the Bears can’t get him in the draft, his teammate Egbuka is the clear second choice at receiver.

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Round 2: Sedrick Van Pran – Center, Georgia

This is a name that should be familiar to long-time readers of Bears Talk. I wrote about Van Pran frequently in 2023 mock drafts, but he opted to return to Georgia after winning (another) national championship. And now that John Michael Schmitz has been drafted into the NFL, Van Pran is my top center prospect.

Complementing his terrific size (six-foot-four and 310 pounds), Van Pran possesses football smarts that go through the roof and a relentless motor that pushes him to run through walls. Most importantly, he’s shown the kind of athleticism that Poles demands of his offensive linemen. This pick feels like a no-brainer.

After moving Cody Whitehair to Center, the Bears should be good there for the 2023 season, but still need a long-term solution at the position. Van Pran would fill that need better than anyone else and could be for Fields what Jeff Saturday was for Peyton Manning.