Bear Digest

Landscape altered for Chicago Bears post-Senior Bowl mock draft

A Bears mock draft using a new set of rules for trades and also with a talent pool altered to reflect what occurred during Senior Bowl week.

Gene Chamberlain

Mississippi edge player Princely Umanmielen has had an impressive start in the run up to the NFL draft.
Mississippi edge player Princely Umanmielen has had an impressive start in the run up to the NFL draft. / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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The Senior Bowl enlightenment past, landscape changes for the Bears' run up to the draft.

The next big thing after a bunch of celebrities descend upon Super Bowl row and they play the big game is the NFL Scouting Combine. It all changes then, as well.

Teams gained more insight with coaching changes and then also at the Senior Bowl practices and game. In doing so, the pool of talent looks different on many mock drafts. Pro Football Focus' simulator has been adjusted now to reflect different opinions on players. The same will likely occur with other draft simulators.

As such, the mock draft conducted prior to the Senior Bowl becomes outdated. The Bears' opportunities are altered in a new talent assessment.

Here is a post-Senior Bowl version of Chicago Bears On SI mock draft.

Of note, thrills and chills: The trade restrictor has been disconnected.

T Will Campbell, LSU

Round 1, No. 10

The choice for the Bears a few weeks ago became less likely with time as his name became more prominent, but other players came to prominence, pushing him down. Again, this became a choice for the Bears between a 6-foot-6, 323-pounder who is projected by many to be an NFL guard, and Ashton Jeanty, the best running back in the draft. In other versions of the mock, Jeanty had to be the choice with Campbell already drafted. Not this time. The grownups in the room prevail and the big lineman becomes a Bear to replace Teven Jenkins. The thing with Campbell is he did not play guard in college. There would be a transition, but none of the guard candidates available rated high enough to draft at this point. PFF graded Campbell higher in 2023 when he allowed no sacks. He allowed just two last season but he's still the best option to upgrade the line.

Edge Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi

Round 2, No. 39

A final season when he had 10 1/2 sacks and exploded to top 8% of edge rushers in the country according to PFF was capped off Saturday with a sack in the Senior Bowl after solid practice performances, according to scouts. The 6-4, 255-pounder should be able to slide right into a role opposite Montez Sweat, or into the pass rush rotation if the Bears come up with more rush help in free agency. He was a Florida player for his first four years and 15 sacks before the portal, and from the sound of things he might even be working with his old line coach if he comes to the Bears and plays outside of former Gator Gervon Dexter in the pass rush.

DT Omarr Norman-Lott, Tennessee

Round 2, No. 46

Faced with choosing a cornerback or linebacker here due to the way the draft fell, I opted to trade back with Atlanta to No. 46 and received the 116th pick in Round 4 and a seventh-rounder. Norman-Lott, a versatile big man who had 17 tackles for loss and 13 1/2 sacks for Arizona State and Tennessee. He bulked up a bit over his last two years to hit 6-3, 315 and usually lined up over tackle or in the B-gap. More interior help for a sagging defensive line and maybe even some better incentive for Gervon Dexter to learn to defend the run better.

G Tyler Booker, Alabama

Round 3, No. 72

Perhaps it's his blocking for the run but the true guard for the Crimson Tide is still sitting here in Round 3 where he was in the last mock draft conducted. He's an easy choice and perhaps Ryan Poles finally gets a third-round pick right.  Booker ranked in 2024 with elite players, above many second-round picks, as a pass blocker according to PFF grades. At 6-5, 324, he is only 20 years old at the moment and a rarity. He's usually been a left guard but also played almost 200 snaps at right guard and even had 77 plays at left tackle in 2024.

RB DJ Giddens, Kansas State

Round 4, No. 116

A 6-1, 212-pound back who displays good tackle-breaking ability and vision, with nice ability to shift gears for a back as tall as he is.  

The former Kansas State back ran for 1,343 yards last year after 1,226 in 2023. He hasn't been overworked, with 517 runs in three seasons, and averaged 6.0 yards a carry. PFF notes a need for him to work on his hands. He didn't participate in the Senior Bowl due to minor upper body injury and should be OK for the combine. Best back available in the draft for Round 4 and the important thing was acquiring this fourth-round pick in the trade back because it plugs a big hole between Rounds 3 and 5 for Poles.

C Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State

Round 5, No. 152

It became apparent McLaughlin was what they need in Round 5 but the simulator had him grade below the 148th selection. Probably the Achilles injury suffered last year made the difference because he could have been right at the top of the center list. I dealt the Colts the 148th pick and the 197th pick in Round 6 and received the 152nd pick and 189th pick. McLaughlin was still going to be there. The cornerstone of a dominant offensive line for the national champions, he is said to be extremely sharp, which translates well for line calls. Draft Network scouting reports call him a real "finisher," which is something the Bears need, especially at center. The makings are here for a long-term answer at center and he's a good enough blocker that scouts see him as able to play guard if he needed to do it. He'd be worth the wait, if there even is one. Centers need a season or so to develop anyway.

S Dean Clark, Fresno State

Round 6, No. 189

The pick that was improved with the trade back in Round 5 supplies one more name to the mix at a position where the Bears need to make sure they have plenty of depth. There is a shelf life to Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker's health is a concern. Add in the fact he is in a contract year. Elijah Hicks looks like a nice backup piece and Jonathan Owens wasn't a lot of help in coverage. He's in a contract year, as well. Clark is viewed by scouts as the type of safety who can play back or challenge in the box, at 6-1, 206. This is how Dennis Allen used his safeties in New Orleans. There was no classic strong safety who was bigger and playing like a linebacker, but both safeties could occasionally do this. PFF had him posting a 50% catch rate when targeted and 19.4% forced incompletion rate.

LB Jailin Walker, Indiana

Round 7, No. 235

To be honest, I'd trade both seventh-round picks for a chance to get to the bottom of Round 6 because seventh-round picks almost always yield nothing. Walker plays a position where he could help on special teams, be a blitzer or fight for a roster spot as a strong side linebacker because Noah Sewell hasn't done enough in his two seasons to show he can contribute. They need extra linebacker depth and always can use blitzers.

Edge Johnny Walker Jr., Missouri

Round 7, No. 244

Make jokes about taking two Walkers to finish the draft if you will but finding Missouri's edge rusher here was graded a steal for the Bears and he probably should have been taken at No. 235. Chad Reuter from NFL.com gave him only a honorable mention for top defensive East-West Shrine Game performer but he had two sacks, including a strip sack. At 6-2 1/2, 246, he'd be a developmental project on the edge.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.