The Chicago Bears may have already decided what to do with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, general manager Ryan Poles will have other critical calls to make after the first selection, so we’ve decided to lend a hand.
On Friday, Pro Football Network unveiled an all-new feature on our Mock Draft Simulator: a first-of-its-kind multi-user function that allows groups to conduct mock drafts together.
PFN convened earlier this week to conduct the first-ever multi-user NFL mock draft simulation, with 10 staff members taking front-office reins in a seven-round mock. I drew the Bears, which made my choice at No. 1 relatively simple.
Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Draft Picks
The Bears own two first-round picks, but they’ll enter the 2024 draft with just four total picks, the fewest in the NFL. Chicago has already traded draft selections for veterans like EDGE Montez Sweat, OL Ryan Bates, OL Dan Feeney, and WR N’Keal Harry.
Two choices in the top 10 made the Bears an attractive team to command, but their lack of draft capital forced me to explore a trade down on Day 2.
- Round 1, Pick 1 (from CAR): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
- Round 1, Pick 9: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
- Round 3, Pick 86 (from HOU): McKinnley Jackson, DT, Texas A&M
- Round 4, Pick 122 (from PHI): Tanor Bortolini, C, Wisconsin
- Round 4, Pick 127 (from HOU): Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
Chicago Bears 7-Round 2024 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 1 (from CAR): Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Chicago traded QB Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier this month, formally ending any speculation that the club could stick with its incumbent signal-caller and fill another position at No. 1 or trade the pick.
The Bears have all but announced that Caleb Williams will be their selection at the top of the draft. The former Heisman winner has been viewed as the favorite to go first overall in the 2024 draft for several years and sewed up his presumptive selection by averaging 9.4 yards per attempt while throwing 30 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Trojans last season.
Williams’ arm talent and creativity are second to none in this year’s class, while his ability to create off-script remains unparalleled. Chicago hopes it’s drafted the next Patrick Mahomes, but even a Diet version of Mahomes would make Williams a worthwhile pick.
Round 1, Pick 9: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Having already decided on Williams, I blindly rejected trades for the No. 1 selection. But my ears perked up once the ninth pick rolled around and offers came rolling in.
The Jacksonville Jaguars wanted to send pick Nos. 17 and 48 for Nos. 9 and 122. Getting an extra pick in the middle of the second round might’ve represented good value, but I didn’t want to move that far down the board in Round 1.
MORE: Should the Bears Trade the No. 9 Pick in the 2024 NFL Draft?
The New York Jets wanted to move up one spot, offering No. 10 and a 2025 second-rounder for No. 9. I gave this enticing proposal more thought. While Gang Green might’ve been moving up for Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze, the receiver the Jets didn’t select would still be available one pick later.
Still, I valued Nabers slightly more thanks to his yards-after-catch production, and I felt better about him as a complement to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. Williams, this receiving corps, a three-deep RB rotation, and a solid offensive line could come together to form a top-10 offense in 2024.
Round 3, Pick 86 (from HOU): McKinnley Jackson, DT, Texas A&M
The Houston Texans wanted to move up for N.C. State LB Payton Wilson, so I agreed to a trade sending No. 75 south in exchange for Nos. 86 and 122.
With such little draft capital at my disposal, I felt the need to add at least one extra pick. The Arizona Cardinals offered No. 90 and a 2025 third for No. 76, but I wanted the additional selection in this year’s draft.
The Bears still need another defensive end to pair with Sweat, and I would have thought about Florida State’s Jared Verse had Nabers or Odunze been unavailable at No. 9. However, I’m a little worried about finding a high-upside edge defender near the end of Day 2.
Instead, I hit the middle of Chicago’s defensive line by adding 6’2″, 325-pound tackle McKinnley Jackson. The Bears lost Justin Jones in free agency and need one more big body to add to the interior alongside veteran Andrew Billings and 2022 draft choices Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.
Round 4, Pick 122 (from PHI): Tanor Bortolini, C, Wisconsin
Anticipating a rookie under center in 2024, the Bears stocked up on centers this offseason. Poles traded for Buffalo Bills G/C Ryan Bates — whom Chicago tried to sign as a restricted free agent in 2022 — before signing former Los Angeles Rams sixth man Coleman Shelton to a one-year deal.
Shelton is on an expiring contract, as is starting left guard Teven Jenkins. I wanted to bring in another versatile interior option who could play behind Chicago’s veteran group before potentially becoming a starter in 2025.
I landed on Wisconsin’s Tanor Bortolini, one of the most athletic offensive line prospects in this year’s draft.
The 6’4″, 303-pounder completed the three-cone drill in 7.16 seconds, breaking Jason Kelce’s record for the fastest time by a center in Scouting Combine history. Bortolini also recorded a 4.28-second short shuttle, the third-best mark among offensive linemen since 2010.
“(Bortolini) scored a fringe top-100, early Day 3 grade for me,” PFN draft analyst Ian Cummings said after I made the pick. “I could see him going Day 2 with the athletic testing. The three-cone is insane. His explosiveness is insane. If he can improve his leveraging and his base in pass protection, he can be a good starter in the NFL.”
Round 4, Pick 127 (from HOU): Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
The Bears signed safety Kevin Byard this offseason, choosing the veteran to replace Eddie Jackson and play alongside Jaquan Brisker in the club’s secondary.
But Byard will be 31 years old by the time the 2024 campaign begins and didn’t play his best football in 2023 when he was traded from the Tennessee Titans to the Philadelphia Eagles at midseason.
With that in mind, I wanted to find a safety who would take over as a starter as early as 2025. I was considering three defensive backs — Washington State’s Jaden Hicks, Wake Forest’s Malik Mustapha, and Texas Tech’s Dadrion Taylor-Demerson — so I used my phone-a-friend lifeline to get Cummings’ take.
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“If you pick Dadrion Taylor-Demerson right now, you might get the steal of the draft,” Cummings said.
“He’s super compact. He can play single-high, two-high, and even in the slot if you want him to. He’s a versatile field safety on the back end with really good play-making ability, ball skills, and physicality.”
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