Bears mock draft: Caleb Williams gets tons of help after trade back

Bears mock draft: Caleb Williams gets tons of help after trade back originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

We are just 11 days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, so the Bears’ draft needs are in pretty clear focus now. After presumably drafting Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, GM Ryan Poles will look to use the other three draft picks at his disposal to address the team’s offensive line, defensive line and potentially add another playmaker on offense. How he does it is still up for debate, however.

As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. Nor is it meant as a recommendation of what the Bears should do. This mock draft is meant to be a fun way to discuss wild ideas, dig into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and project how those players may fit in Chicago.

NO. 1: CALEB WILLIAMS – QUARTERBACK – USC

Turning in the card is a formality at this point. Williams’ college tape is as good as it gets. The Bears have raved about Williams’ character and personality after their meetings. A new era of Bears football will begin Apr. 25.

For all our coverage on the QB phenom, click here.

TRADE! BEARS SEND NO. 9, 2025 SIXTH-ROUND PICK TO SAINTS IN EXCHANGE FOR NOS. 14, 45 PICKS

By the time the Bears are on the clock, all three of the top wide receivers (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze) are off the board. So is highly-touted left tackle Joe Alt. The way things shook out in this mock draft, the Bears have the opportunity to draft the first defensive player of the class, but with J.J. McCarthy still available, Poles has the opportunity to trade back a few spots and pick up a second-round pick in the process. He makes the move, the team can still add a Week 1 contributor after trading back.

NO. 14: OLU FASHANU – LEFT TACKLE – PENN STATE

Everything is about helping Williams succeed, so Poles adds Fashanu, a top notch pass protector. By selecting Fashanu, Poles provides a familiar face for Williams in the locker room, since the two were high school teammates at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. Fashanu has great size for a left tackle, and experts love his ability to shut down a variety of pass rush moves and his excellent awareness on the field. If there’s a knock on Fashanu it’s that he’s not considered as strong of a run blocker as he is at pass pro, but it would be tough for him to match his pass pro prowess. According to PFF, Fashanu never gave up a sack in 1,347 snaps for the Nittany Lions at left tackle.

Braxton Jones isn’t as bad of a tackle as his reputation on social media might suggest, but Fashanu would be an upgrade in pass protection. Adding Fashanu also allows the Bears to move Jones to backup duties, which gives the team a major boost compared to their depth last year when Larry Borom struggled as a reserve.

NO. 45: TROY FRANKLIN – WIDE RECEIVER – OREGON

Odunze has gotten a lot of attention as an unbelievable deep threat for good reason. He’s incredible working down the field and he put up huge numbers on explosive plays. But if the Bears are looking for a vertical pass catching option and miss out on Odunze, then Franklin would be an excellent consolation prize.

Franklin caught an impressive 73.5% of his targets across the 2022 and 2023 seasons and averaged 16.7 yards per reception over those two seasons. Franklin found the end zone plenty to go with that explosive playmaking ability, with 22 touchdowns since 2022. Right now, Franklin works best as a pure vertical threat– something the Bears have lacked for many seasons. That verticality also complements the skillsets DJ Moore and Keenan Allen well, as they each thrive in the intermediate portions of the field. If there’s a knock on Franklin it’s that he’s inconsistent on contested catches and has had a propensity for drops at times.

NO. 75: BRALEN TRICE – DEFENSIVE END – WASHINGTON

Bears fans yelling at their TVs for the team to select a pass rusher finally get their wish. Some consider Trice a little undersized at just 245 lbs., but Trice makes up for his smaller size with great speed, agility and an excellent motor. Trice never quits on a play and made many stops with his second and third efforts at Washington. That’s the type of play that could separate Trice from other Day Two pass rushers for the Bears.

Trice translated all of those great traits into great production for the Huskies. Over the two seasons, Trice had 16 sacks, 23.5 TFL, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Per PFF, Trice finished tied for 25th in the nation with a 19% pass rush win rate in 2023 (min. 100 pass rush snaps). No one topped his 27.5% win rate in 2022.

Whether or not the Bears believe Gervon Dexter is ready to step up as the team’s starting three-tech tackle, Poles will likely look to add to the group since Justin Jones left for Arizona over the offseason.

Taylor fits what the Bears look for in several key areas: he’s got great size with long arms, he can play nose or three-tech, and he flashes explosive disruption from the middle of the line. The problem that experts note is that his production is inconsistent. Taylor doesn’t figure to push for starting snaps as a rookie, but if the Bears can harness his raw talent and get him to play at a high level more often than not, he could develop into a fearsome interior pass rusher.

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