NFL mock draft roundup: Reacting to Daniel Jeremiah, Mel Kiper Bears picks
Mock draft production has become a year-round thing these days, with the NFL’s selection process most always in the football consciousness.
The major players in the industry don’t churn them out on the regular. That’s why their mocks and big boards are of note when released.
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Two of the most respected dropped mocks recently, so we’ll take a closer look at Daniel Jeremiah’s and Mel Kiper’s selections and add some additional thoughts on each pick. It’s no shock that offensive linemen were attached to the Bears at the No. 10 overall selection. That has been happening often these days, with such a clear positional need and new head coach Ben Johnson’s preference to invest heavily in quality along the offensive line.
Let’s take a look at who Jeremiah and Kiper picked and how they might fit with the Bears.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL Network
G Tyler Booker, Alabama
Jeremiah’s analysis: I think Booker is one of the safest picks in the draft. He will help firm up the interior offensive line for Caleb Williams.
Bair’s thoughts: I don’t care much for positional value in the draft. If a player is good and fits the selector’s system and can be a top contributor for the long-term, it doesn’t matter much where he plays.
That said, No. 10 overall seems high for a career guard. Jeremiah’s my favorite analyst so I generally trust his assessment when he considers Booker one of the safest picks in the draft. The Bears can’t miss at No. 10 and this fills a position of major need.
He ranks No. 14 on the Jeremiah top 50, where he’s described as “one of the cleaner evaluations in this draft class,” with “ideal size, awareness and consistency.”
There is no way to set up realistic trade scenarios until the round starts, but a minor trade down for Booker and another pick seems like an ideal scenario. If that doesn’t happen and Campbell’s off the board – that happened in Jeremiah’s mock – the Booker could be the guy. Though there are a number of offensive linemen in that general area, and it’s about the Bears finding their favorite.
Mel Kiper, ESPN
OT/G Will Campbell, LSU
Kiper’s analysis: The Bears have had three top-10 picks since Ryan Poles became the GM in 2022, and they’ve used them all on offense. But anyone who watched Chicago play this season knows Caleb Williams needs better protection; the rookie QB took 68 sacks. The entire offensive line class is still on the board here, and it’s close between Campbell and Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. at the top.
I lean Campbell because he was better this season and has more size and 6-foot-6, 323 pounds, even though Banks is ranked higher on my board (No. 10 vs. No. 11). Campbell gave up just two sacks over 524 pass-block snaps this season. There are some length concerns, and he might kick inside to guard, but Chicago needs help all over that line.
Bair’s thoughts: We get a Campbell-to-the-Bears connection a ton, and rightfully so. The LSU product had a quality 2024 campaign blocking for the run and pass, with an aggressive streak the Bears need up front. He has some positional flexibility that could allow Campbell to play guard as a rookie and possibly transition to tackle once left tackle Braxton Jones’ deal is done.
Whether he’s available to Chicago at No. 10 is uncertain. Some mocks have Campbell going as high as fourth to New England, or at other spots a bit further down. He’s usually the top offensive lineman taken, so it’ll depend when that run of big men starts.
The Bears would surely be happy if Campbell fell them. He’s the No. 8 overall player on Jeremiah’s big board and 11th on Kiper’s so he would constitute good draft value.
Campbell would constitute a safe and smart selection for a team that needs power over flash and could provide a solution up front well beyond a rookie contract.