2024 Mock Draft: Bears keep No. 1 pick and DON’T take QB

NFL media and Chicago Bears fans seem to agree on one basic 2024 NFL Draft theory: The Bears will either select a quarterback with the No. 1 pick overall or stick with Justin Fields and trade the pick for a huge return.

What if a third option is legitimately being considered? What if GM Ryan Poles wants to run it back with Fields but doesn’t want to trade the pick because of how high he views one particular player in the 2024 draft class?

In the latest NFL mock draft from Sports Illustrated’s Luke Easterling, that “what if” becomes reality. The Chicago Bears keep the first pick, and instead of selecting USC’s Caleb Williams or North Carolina’s Drake Maye, Poles pulls the trigger on Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

“The Bears have a fantastic dilemma here,” Easterling wrote. “Do they spend this pick on a new franchise quarterback? Do they keep building around Justin Fields, and give him the best player in the draft? Do they auction the pick off to the highest bidder for the second year in a row, likely for more than they got last time? Keeping Fields seems more likely now than it has all season, and since we’re not projecting any trades just yet, taking Harrison is the way.”

To be fair, this mock draft doesn’t project trades. So, Easterling is sticking to a pretty strict set of rules. But it isn’t entirely out of the question for Poles to have such a massive grade on Harrison that he decides to stay at No. 1 overall and use the pick on the son of a Hall of Famer.

The only conceivable trade-back scenario allowing the Chicago Bears to remain in striking distance for Harrison would be a move to the No. 3 pick, Williams and Maye are near-locks to be the first and second players selected.

Is Marvin Harrison Jr. worth taking at No. 1 overall?

It’s a tough question to answer. He checks all the boxes to be a premier receiver in the NFL, from his size to his speed, route-running, and contested catch ability. But the 2024 NFL draft is deep with first-round wide receiver talent.

If the Bears leverage the first pick for a bounty of future first-rounders and slide back too far to select Harrison, players like LSU’s Malik Nabers, Washington’s Rome Odunze, and Florida State’s Keon Coleman are fantastic prospects in their own right.

Taking Harrison at No. 1 … is a bit of a reach.

Bears load up defense with second first-round pick

With the second of two first-round selections in Easterling’s mock draft, the Bears use the No. 10 pick on Alabama pass rusher Dallas Turner.

“Building around Justin Fields includes keeping the defense loaded with top talent, and this scenario gives the Bears the perfect opportunity to do just that,” Easterling wrote. “Montez Sweat has made an immediate impact after arriving in Chicago at the trade deadline, but the Bears could use another explosive edge rusher like Turner, who enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2023.”

I agree that an edge rusher should rank high on the Chicago Bears’ wish list in the first round, but I’m not sure Turner will be their first choice. In this mock draft, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu is still on the board, his pass-rushing traits are superior to Turner’s, and his physical makeup is more in line with what the Bears look for at defensive end. Latu does have a bad injury history, though, so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he has a draft-day slide.

But with the information we have right now, Latu would be the pick, not Turner.

EDGE Laiatu Latu

I can’t remember ever seeing a player coming out of College with such a well-developed palette of pass rush moves, it’s indecent how he’s mastered so many techniques to near perfection.
He still need to make improvements on Run D though

1st Round Talent pic.twitter.com/UFoxUwgUqG

— Rayane M (@RayaneScout) January 2, 2024

Latu finished the 2023 season with 13 sacks and has 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons. He reminds me of a young Robert Quinn, who Bears fans can appreciate after he set the team’s single-season sack record in 2021 with 18.5.

Bears add final piece to O-line in third round

The Chicago Bears’ final pick in Easterling’s mock draft is in the third round (remember, the Bears traded their second-round pick to the Washington Commanders for Montez Sweat), and it’s a good one. They select Georgia center, Sedric Van Pran.

Van Pran has been considered the top center prospect for most of the 2023 college football season, and while it feels like the gap is closing for that draft-day honor, landing him in the third round would be more than just a steal, it would transform the interior of the Bears’ offensive line.

It’s rare to get super excited about a third-round pick, but if Van Pran fell this far (No. 76 overall), Bears fans would be jumping for joy.

What grade would you give this Chicago Bears mock draft? Let your opinion be heard in the comments below! And if you want to enjoy an ad-free experience on Bears Talk, consider upgrading to a premium account. Bear Down!