In my last mock draft for the Chicago Bears, I purposely chose not to account for any trades involving Justin Fields. My reasoning was that I couldn’t guarantee he was going to be traded, and more importantly, I couldn’t guarantee I’d correctly predict the draft capital the Bears would receive in return. At the time of that mock draft, the Bears had five draft picks, but now they only have four. Why? Because that mock draft was before Ryan Poles sent a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for Keenan Allen.

Adding Allen to the roster helps shore up a wide receiver room that looked relatively bleak behind DJ Moore. This gives the Bears more flexibility with the ninth pick in the draft. I know everyone wants to see one of Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze or Marvin Harrison, Jr. fall to nine, but even if one or more of them falls, it might not be the best option for Chicago with only four picks in the draft. That said, I would be ecstatic if Ryan Poles lucked into any of the three.

Before we get into this mock draft, I will note that none of the top three wide receiver prospects fell to nine and I chose to move down in the first round to try and acquire more draft capital. I passed up on Brock Bowers at nine and I also skipped on taking any of the EDGE rushers at nine. My thought and hope was if I moved down I could still land a top defensive end. I couldn’t find a trade partner in the teens though and my only opportunity to move down eliminated a chance at one of the top three defensive end prospects.

Let’s take a look at how things shook out.

1.01: Caleb Williams, QB | USC
I am tired of hearing certain fans paint a picture that there is the slightest possibility that Ryan Poles still trades the first-overall pick to the Commanders and selects Jayden Daniels. I’ve even seen some on social media claiming that Daniels is not only the top prospect in the draft, but that Williams isn’t even top three. This has to stop.

Even if you think Jayden Daniels is a great prospect in this year’s draft class, no one should be putting him ahead of Caleb Williams. Williams has the highest ceiling among the QBs in this draft class. His floor seems very high as well. Personally, I have Daniels as the fifth-best quarterback in the draft class, but I can also see why anyone would love the idea of what he could become. He has some elite traits, especially his legs, but he is vastly undersized and doesn’t have the frame to bulk up enough to stay healthy if he sustains multiple hits a game. I also find him too inconsistent.

Caleb Williams can extend plays with his legs while also keeping his eyes downfield. He has the ability to throw from all angles. He is the clear choice for the Chicago Bears at 1.01 and it wouldn’t make any sense for them to draft Daniels who is simply a smaller version with a less accurate deep ball compared to Justin Fields. For a more complete analysis of Caleb Williams, go back to my last mock draft.

Strengths
Arm strength
Ability to make off-platform throws
Pocket presence
Escapability that leads to off-scripted success
Keeps eyes downfield
Self-confidence
Football IQ
Ability to lead receivers with anticipation
Weaknesses
Holds onto the ball too long at times
Refuses to take the short, easy throws

The Chicago Bears trade down with the Steelers
It all makes sense now. The Justin Fields trade was just part one of a bigger picture. With Joe Alt, Malik Nabers, Marvin Harrison, Jr. and Rome Odunze all off the board at 1.09, the Chicago Bears look to move down and collect more draft picks. Fields was sent to the Steelers for a futures sixth-round pick that could end up being a fourth-rounder if he plays 51% or more of the Steelers’ snaps. That could be tough with Russell Wilson slotted ahead of him on the depth chart. Now, the Steelers send the Bears picks 1.20, 2.51, and a 2025 second-rounder to move up to 1.09.

Bears Receive:
1.20
2.51
2025 2nd Round Pick

Steelers Receive:
1.09
With only four picks in this draft, Ryan Poles moves down and adds another pick just outside the top 50. Moving down means that Brock Bowers is no longer an option for Chicago. After adding Gerald Everett, adding a guy like Bowers would be a luxury. Bowers is not your typical tight end and would make a great addition to the receivers for Caleb Williams, but he feels like more of a luxury and the Bears are not ready for a luxury.

It was difficult for me to move down to 20. I tried moving down but staying inside the top 15. I really wanted to move down, collect a second-round pick, and select defensive end Jared Verse. He is my favorite of the top-three pass rushers and would fit nicely in Matt Eberflus’ system. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a trade partner in that range. Pittsburgh was willing to move up and give me enough compensation to allow the Bears to keep building not only in this draft but also in next year’s draft.

All three edge rushers were off the board and I was left to pick between the next set of receivers or Chop Robinson.

1.20: Brian Thomas, Jr., WR | LSU
I have Brian Thomas, Jr. as my WR5 in the 2024 draft class. Ahead of him is Troy Franklin. I find Franklin to be a more all-around receiver who brings plenty of positives to the field. My biggest fear with Franklin is his size. He has a lighter frame, but it should be noted that others with a similar build have succeeded at receiver over the last few years. Just look at DeVonta Smith and Jordan Addison. I chose to bypass my rankings and took Brian Thomas, Jr. at 20 instead.

When I watch Thomas’ film, I see a player who could become a star in the NFL. The only problem is that his floor is drastically low. He is a physical specimen at 6’4″ and 205 pounds while running a 4.33 40-yard dash. That is elite speed for a player of his size. The problem is that he has a very limited route tree. He reminds me of Christian Watson, or even worse, Kevin White. He fits the mold of a receiver who could become a complete bust, but the hope is he becomes Watson or maybe a bigger Ted Ginn, Jr. Thomas is a bit of a one-year wonder and that is alarming too.

What he does well is run verticle routes. He tracks the ball well and has adequate hands. He uses his body a little too much at times. Despite playing for three years, he is limited and somewhat raw. I’d like to see him expand his route tree and prove he can do more than attack the field deep. He will be a big-play receiver who could pair well with Caleb Williams’ big arm though. Landing him at 20 eliminates some of the risk involved in taking a player like Thomas and I see this as a win for Chicago.

Strengths
Verticle routes
Elite speed and size combination
Ball tracking
High-pointing the ball
Weaknesses
Ability to separate off the line of scrimmage in press coverage
Route tree
One-year-wonder
Occasional focus drops