The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers, but they’re still in a good position to land a top prospect in the NFL draft.
Chicago has a number of needs to address in the draft, most notably in the trenches. While general manager Ryan Poles made plenty of moves in free agency, all indications are the defensive and offensive lines will be focal points in the draft.
The Athletic‘s Bruce Feldman revealed his latest mock draft, where he had the Bears landing a versatile offensive lineman in Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski at No. 9.
The Bears need help up front and have a home-grown stud who should be good at tackle and could fill a need at center or guard. He’s that talented and versatile. He was more impressive athletically at the combine than many anticipated, vertical jumping 34.5 inches and broad jumping 9-7 (both second-best among O-linemen). The one thing he may be missing is ideal length for a tackle, with 32 1/2-inch arms, but he should be a standout interior lineman.
Protecting quarterback Justin Fields will be a focal point for the Bears this season, especially after he was sacked a league-high 55 times in 15 games last year. So it feels like a safe bet that Chicago will use their first pick on a tackle.
The Bears’ offensive line remains a work in progress, but there’s a glaring hole at offensive tackle that will be filled in the draft. Skoronski, Paris Johnson Jr. or Broderick Jones figure to be options for Chicago at No. 9.
