Mel Kiper Mock Draft: Bears Begin Life After Justin Fields

The NFL Draft Godfather, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., published his latest first-round 2024 NFL Mock Draft on Tuesday, and it officially kicks off the post-Justin Fields era for the Chicago Bears.

As expected, Kiper sends Caleb Williams to the Bears with the first overall pick.

“The mystery is gone now, right?” Kiper wrote. “Justin Fields was sent to the Steelers over the weekend for a conditional Day 3 pick in 2025, which means Chicago’s quarterback depth chart looks like this: Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien. The franchise stayed out of the veteran market in free agency. The Bears are going to take a passer with this pick, and all signs point to it being Williams, my top-ranked prospect.”

Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus, along with just about every other important person in the Chicago Bears organization, is heading to Williams’ pro day on March 20. At this point, it’s a mere formality. Caleb Williams will be the first overall pick, and he’ll transform a Bears franchise that’s long been searching for a quarterback of his caliber.

The real fun begins at No. 9 overall, the Bears’ second first-round pick. A quick survey of NFL mock drafts have Chicago selecting a wide range of players, including wide receivers, offensive tackles, and edge rushers.

In Mel Kiper’s mock draft, Poles goes with Florida State pass rusher Jared Verse.

“Verse’s testing numbers at the combine were impressive, even if I didn’t love his 2023 tape,” Kiper wrote. “He was too inconsistent at times. But at 6-foot-4, 254 pounds, he has a complete set of tools to be a devastating pass-rusher at the next level, if he can put everything together. The Bears have made a few shrewd moves this offseason, and if their rookie quarterback comes in and plays well, they could be challengers in the NFC North.”

Kiper said he had the Bears taking a wide receiver at No. 9 before their trade for Keenan Allen. While I understand the logic behind moving Chicago off of wide receiver in Round 1, I don’t think Allen’s presence completely eliminates the chance the Bears will continue loading up its pass catchers.

Here’s the problem with Kiper’s mock draft: None of the top three receivers fall to the Chicago Bears. Malik Nabers goes fifth to the Los Angeles Chargers, and Rome Odunze goes sixth to the New York Giants. As a result, it makes sense that Kiper pivots edge rusher. It’s arguably their biggest need at this point in the offseason.

One position to monitor closely is offensive tackle, however. If Joe Alt slips to No. 9, he’d be very much in play. In Kiper’s mock draft, Alt becomes a Tennessee Titan at No. 7.