Ryan Poles is in a difficult spot in his first season as the Bears' GM. Chicago enters this year's draft with just six draft picks, and although it believes it has its quarterback of the future in Justin Fields, there are a lot of other holes on the roster that have to be filled.
The trade of Khalil Mack to the Chargers netted the Bears a second second-round pick, but the Bears are going to have to be deft in their selections to make this year's draft worthwhile and accelerate their timeline.
Matt Eberflus is a coach with a defensive pedigree, but Chicago needs help on both sides of the ball. Although he wasn't terribly productive in Chicago, Allen Robinson's departure leaves a gap opposite Darnell Mooney at receiver, and Chicago's secondary needs bodies.
It's a tricky prospect to make this team better, but there are good pieces in place. The Bears also have the capital to move up in this year's draft, but that will depend on Poles' philosophy as a GM. If Ryan Pace showed one thing, it's that over-aggressive doesn't always yield results.
Here's a look at the Bears' picks in the 2022 NFL Draft:
TSN's NFL DRAFT HQ
Live picks tracker | 7-round mock draft | Top 200 big board
Bears draft picks 2022: Who did Chicago take?
- Round 2, Pick No. 39: Kyler Gordon, CB, Washington
- Round 2, Pick No. 48: Jaquan Brisker, S, Penn State
- Round 3, Pick No. 71: Venus Jones Jr., WR, Tennessee
- Round 5, Pick No. 168: Braxton Jones, OT, Southern Utah
- Round 5, Pick No. 174: Dominique Robinson, EDGE, Miami (Ohio)
- Round 6, Pick No. 186: Zach Thomas, G, San Diego State
- Round 6, Pick No. 203: Trestan Ebner, RB, Baylor
- Round 6, Pick No. 207: Doug Kramer, C, Illinois
- Round 7, Pick No. 226: Ja'Tyre Carter, G, Southern
- Round 7, Pick No. 254: Elijah Hicks, S, Cal
- Round 7, Pick No. 255: Trenton Gill, K, N.C. State
Click here for live analysis and grades on every pick.
Bears 2022 NFL Draft order
| Round | Pick (Overall) |
|---|---|
| 2 | 39 |
| 2 | 48 (from Chargers) |
| 3 | 71 |
| 5 | 148 (from Texans) |
| 5 | 150 |
| 6 | 186 |
Bears NFL draft needs
- Left Tackle: For the Bears, protecting Justin Fields is paramount. Chicago needs to make sure its future is secure in Fields, and that starts with covering the blind side. Fields was guilty of seeing ghosts at times last year, so putting in a tackle he can trust would be a good first step for the young quarterback.
- Wide Receiver: At wide receiver, the Bears have Darnell Mooney and new addition Byron Pringle. Allen Robinson never found his footing in Chicago, so adding another receiver will be important for Fields and the offense to get clicking. Even if they try to run predominately two-receiver sets -- something we're seeing less and less of in today's NFL -- all it would take is one injury for the Bears to have to rethink their entire receiving situation.
- Cornerback: Getting a corner opposite Jaylon Johnson has to be paramount for Eberflus' defense. The Bears need to find some consistency at the cornerback position, and if teams can just headhunt whoever is opposite Johnson it eliminates the purpose of having elite talent on the outside. The Bears can get better, they just have to find the right player.
MORE: Compare latest mock drafts from Mel Kiper, Daniel Jeremiah, Todd McShay, other experts
Chicago Bears mock draft 2022
Here are the latest 2022 NFL Draft projections for the Seahawks, according to Vinnie Iyer's seven-round mock draft:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 39 | Roger McCreary | CB | Auburn |
| 2 | 48 | Daniel Faalele | OT | Minnesota |
| 3 | 71 | Jalen Tolbert | WR | Arkansas |
| 5 | 148 | Dominique Williams | EDGE | Miami (OH) |
| 5 | 150 | Kerby Joseph | S | Illinois |
| 6 | 186 | Kyle Phillips | WR | UCLA |
