Bears take QB-next and a new pass-catcher in this 2024 NFL mock draft

The Chicago Bears are 3-7 after 10 weeks. A season that started with so much hope went off the rails immediately and has left many fans doubting that the quarterback who can finally lead the franchise back to the Promised Land is currently on this roster.

Granted, there are still seven games left, and a lot can change over that time. Justin Fields could pull off a miraculous career turnaround and cement his place as the franchise quarterback. It just seems incredibly unlikely at this point. If the Bears end up with the first overall pick (which they currently own thanks to Carolina being the final one-win team left in the NFL), it’s almost inconceivable that GM Ryan Poles would once again pass on drafting his quarterback.

So, like every other fanbase whose team is effectively out of the playoff hunt, Bears fans are now turning back to 2024 mock drafts.

This year, mock drafts are especially fun for Bears fans because they have two first-round picks to play with, and both are shaping up to be at or near the very top of the draft. What should the Bears do with those picks based on what we know now? I take a stab at it today, using the draft order available on Tankathon.

1.01: (via CAR) Caleb Williams – Quarterback, USC

As I alluded to earlier, I do not believe Fields is the savior we thought he would be. I look at CJ Stroud and what he’s doing for the Houston Texans, which is exactly what I believed Fields would do for Chicago, but that just hasn’t happened despite playing with a much better overall roster.

Barring a genuinely unprecedented run of success to end the season, the Chicago Bears should take another bite at the quarterback apple, especially if they have the first overall pick.

Some Bears fans aren’t high on Williams, and that’s understandable. USC has struggled this year, Williams has looked human, and he appears to have the same flaws that Field struggles with, namely holding the ball too long.

If you think he will just be another version of Fields, I can see the logic in passing on Williams. But what I think fans miss about Williams is how much more arm talent than Fields he has.

Another knock on Justin Fields’ draft profile was a slow, clunky throwing motion. NFL defensive backs feast all day on quarterbacks who telegraph when and where the ball is going, and Fields does this far too often.

Put on some tape of Caleb Williams, and you see the ball explode out of his hand with minimal effort. It happens so fast that the ball is often already out of his hand before you realize he’s even wound up to throw.

Caleb Williams college career is almost over pic.twitter.com/e6a9jk4NzR

— College Football Report (@CFBRep) November 12, 2023

WIlliams also doesn’t have anywhere near the collection of talent that surrounded Fields. Williams’ offensive line is a disaster, his receivers are mostly unknown to anyone who’s not a PAC-12 fan, and his defense surrenders points on almost every drive.

Contrast his college experience with Fields’, who had not one, not two, but three future first-round picks at wide receiver, a dominant offensive line, and a world-class defense.

Some fans also think Williams is just a backyard quarterback, running around and benefitting from broken plays, which won’t work in the NFL. While it’s easy to think that, and I’m guilty of believing that in the past, it’s not true. There are plenty of examples of Williams playing on-time, in-structure football, stepping up in the pocket, and delivering a strike, just as the play was designed. It’s not as flashy as his explosive plays, so it doesn’t get shared as much on social media, but it’s there for viewing if you watch his games.

There are red flags to Williams’ draft profile, that’s undeniable. In my opinion, he’s also not the generational prospect that many have insisted he is. But the raw talent he puts on display every week is a feast for the eyes, and I don’t think it’d be wise to pass on him just because he shares a flaw or two with Justin Fields.

I won’t be mad if the Bears select Drake Maye here, but Williams is still my guy.

1.05: Brock Bowers – Tight End, Georgia

The Bears have a Top 10 tight end in Cole Kmet, but that shouldn’t stop them from drafting Brock Bowers.

Bowers made Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks” list in 2022 and 2023 for his unrivaled overall athleticism for a tight end. Listed at six-foot-four and 240 pounds, Bowers is a super-sized wide receiver. He has fantastic hands when catching the football, can pick up yards after the catch in bunches, and can even be utilized in the run game.

As I said above, the Bears already have a great tight end in Cole Kmet, so why would they spend a top draft pick on Bowers? Because Bowers does everything Kmet can’t do.

Brock Bowers’ ranks among Power Five TEs:

41 REC (1st)
570 YDS (1st)

He hasn’t played in a game in three weeks pic.twitter.com/vVGCr49FoG

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 5, 2023

Kmet is a traditional inline Y tight end. He’s a great blocker in the run-and-pass game, he’s a decent route-runner and is sure-handed in the red zone. All good stuff.

Bowers is more of a U or “move” tight end. He can block and is very good at it, but he will be much more of a receiver threat than Kmet. His route-running is crisp, he’s fast, and he gets yards after the catch. Bowers and Kmet would be a fantastic tight-end duo with skillsets that complement each other well.

I would prefer to trade back from this spot if the Bears end up with the fifth overall pick. At this point, both of the top quarterbacks, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Olu Fashanu are probably gone, and if someone wants to move up to No. 5 overall, the Bears should trade down.

I also strongly considered drafting Malik Nabers, the receiver out of LSU, with this pick, but for today’s mock draft, I will go with a potential game-changing tight end.

What do you think of this mock draft? Subscribe to Bears Talk and leave your thoughts (and your own mock draft) in the comments.