We’re one month away from the 2022 NFL draft, where the Chicago Bears will be looking to address some important roster needs. Unfortunately, they only have six draft selections and none in the first round.
But the Bears do have three picks on Day 2 of the NFL draft, including two in the second round (Nos. 39 and 48) and one in the third round (No. 71). They don’t have that seventh overall pick, which is in the hands of the New York Giants after trading up to acquire quarterback Justin Fields last year.
Still, general manager Ryan Poles believes they’re in a good position to land some top prospects with three picks in the top 71.
“I’m excited about it,” Poles said. “It puts us in range of really good players. And at the same time, that also allows us to maneuver a little bit. We don’t have a ton of picks, so if there is a way to create more, we’ll be open to that.”
But there are quite a few roster holes that Poles needs to address — both on offense and defense — which will leave him with some difficult choices. Despite some free agent additions in Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, Lucas Patrick and Dakota Dozier, wide receiver and offensive line remain their top needs.
After all, Poles stressed the importance of building around Fields, which requires fixing some issues in pass protection and surrounding him with additional weapons.
But there are also concerns on defense, starting in the secondary at cornerback and safety. Right now, Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson are the only confirmed starters in place at cornerback and safety, respectively. Linebacker is also a big need as Chicago transitions to a 4-3 defense under new head coach Matt Eberflus.
Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts
