Saturday, March 6, 2021

Pre-Free Agency Chicago Bears 2021 NFL Mock Draft Roundup

Throughout the year and leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, we will update our Chicago Bears Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Chicago Bears from several prominent sites and draft analysts.

For a more inclusive lists of mock drafts for the Chicago Bears, check out our 2021 Chicago Bears Mock Draft Database.

The following are picks in recent mock drafts for the Bears:

EDSFootball - Hanson (3/5)

20. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

If you ask June Jones or Mike Tannenbaum, there's no way Jones should be available here. Jones has (Mac) Jones as his QB1 and Tannenbaum says Jones' "floor" is No. 8 (Panthers). In previous iterations of my mocks, Jones was off the board at No. 15 (Patriots) or No. 19 (WFT). If he's still on the board at No. 20, there's a reasonable chance that he's the pick.

Taking the reigns from Tua Tagovailoa, the fifth pick in 2020, Jones really hit the ground running in 2020 after getting a few starts following Tua's injury in 2019. While Jones lacks the arm strength and athleticism that the top-four quarterback prospects possess, he makes quick reads and throws with outstanding accuracy and touch. Facing only SEC competition before Notre Dame and Ohio State in the College Football Playoff, Jones completed 77.4% of his pass attempts and threw for 4,500 yards (11.2 Y/A), 41 touchdowns and four interceptions last season.

ESPN - McShay (3/4)

20. Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

The Bears still lack an answer at quarterback, and what happens with wide receiver Allen Robinson II over the next few weeks could also impact the direction of this pick. But the line needs shoring up, and Darrisaw is a powerful left tackle who doesn't give up many sacks and can get to the second level as a run-blocker. Let's buy whoever starts at QB some more time and open up lanes for running back David Montgomery.

Jeff Dickerson on his fit with the Bears: Offensive tackle ranks near the top of the Bears' offseason to-do list because the futures of veteran tackles Bobby Massie and Charles Leno Jr. are murky at best. Darrisaw would be counted on to start in Week 1.

CBS Sports - Trapasso (3/3)

20. Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

The Bears need a quarterback and need to address the offensive line. Without a quarterback who really excites them here, they go with the safe selection of Jenkins.

The Athletic - Beat Writers (3/1)

20. Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Unless GM Ryan Pace lands Watson or Derek Carr from the Raiders, he has to consider using a first-round pick on a quarterback after not taking any since trading up for Mitch Trubisky in 2017. Four years ago, Pace said it was Trubisky's accuracy that jumped out. Well, how about a 77.4 percent completion rate from Jones last season to go along with 41 touchdowns and four picks? Not to mention the fact that Jones has one-and-a-half seasons of tape as a starter and a national title, while Trubisky had one year and a loss in the Sun Bowl. The Athletic's Dane Brugler refers to Jones as a high-floor, low-ceiling NFL starter. Based on the history of Bears quarterbacks, the franchise should be content with that. -- Kevin Fishbain

Touchdown Wire - Farrar (2/26)

20. Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

The Bears have, as always, an undefined quarterback situation, and a receiver group that is almost certainly going to lose the (mostly wasted) talents of Allen Robinson in free agency. So, whoever the Bears do trot out there at quarterback this season will need an WR1 to throw to, such as those throws may be.

At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, Bateman fits the profile. He caught 36 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns in just five 2020 games, and amassed 147 catches for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns over three seasons. Bateman won't blow you away with his downfield speed (he caught just two of five passes of 20 or more air yards last season), but if you want a guy who can beat physical cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage, and win at the catch point with a crazy catch radius, Bateman is absolutely that player. In the same way Keenan Allen has carved out an outstanding NFL career without breakaway acceleration, Bateman can be a valuable and reliable target in the league for a number of years.

NFL.com - Casserly (2/25)

20. Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

If the Bears keep Allen Robinson and add Toney -- a better prospect than Minnesota's budding star Justin Jefferson was a year ago -- they'll all of a sudden have a formidable receiving corps.

MLive.com - Meinke (2/25)

20. Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

The Bears haven't had a first-round pick since 2018 because of the Mitchell Trubisky trade. And hey, what do you know, they still need a quarterback! With all five of my first-round QBs gone, Chicago shores up the interior with the best defensive tackle on my board.

San Diego Union Tribune (2/24)

20. Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Allen Robinson likely already has one foot out the door as a pending free agent. Bateman is a big receiver (6-2, 210) with great hands and an excellent route-runner who was eighth in the country with 20.3 yards per catch in 2019.

Previous update: Chicago Bears Mock Draft Roundup 5.0

MORE TEAMS: All NFL Team Mock Draft Roundups

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