Chicago Bears (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
The countdown is officially on. With six days before the 2022 NFL Draft, all eyes are on Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus.
The past three months have been largely disappointing for fans who expected any major moves this offseason. However, the Bears have a chance to make up for an underwhelming free agency period if they go about the draft the right way.
At this very moment, the Bears have some pressing needs that include: wide receiver, offensive line and cornerback. Other needs include linebacker, defensive line, safety and punter.
But, with all of the hype around this year’s wide receiver class, some of the latest rumblings on social media give a feeling that Poles might go after bigger guys with his early picks — no surprise, really, coming from a former lineman himself.
Could Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears go contrary to what most deem logical in the 2022 NFL Draft?
Maybe, just maybe, going after other positions not named wide receiver does make sense for the Bears. Maybe, the plan all along was to build a foundation of protection and an understanding of this new offense for quarterback Justin Fields.
Could Poles build through the trenches first, before going after another playmaker for Fields?
If he does, that likely won’t sit well with the majority of the fan base, who have their eyes set on players like George Pickens, Christian Watson an Jalen Tolbert with those first couple of picks.
Let’s say Poles does indeed go the route of surprise. What would that look like? What types of players would he target, and would he execute any trades? In this mock, we answer those questions.
Use your (arrows) to browse