Can Bears bank on better protection with No. 10 pick?
The Bears' path in the first round of the NFL Draft is both straightforward and complicated.
If they plan to be a serious team under new coach Ben Johnson, with more than the occasional playoff cameo, they should continue rebuilding the offensive line.
The Bears probably spent too much money on the middle three blockers this winter, and the two new guards may not last long. Joe Thuney turns 33 this fall and might be a little older in football years, since he's started 21 playoff games over his career. Guard Jonah Jackson is coming off a lost year in Los Angeles, while the two starting tackles are better at run blocking than pass protection.
In an ideal world, the Bears take an offensive tackle at No. 10. By next season, that player is ready to start on the left side, while Braxton Jones slides over to guard. Obviously, the Bears don't plan to pick this high again for a while, so now is a great time to fill a glaring need.
If the mock drafts are reliable — and they're often not — two tackles will be off the board when the Bears pick: LSU's Will Campbell Jr., and Missouri's Armand Membou.
If either of those two are still around at No. 10, then it should be easy. Campbell gets dinged for short arms, but he's got great feet and can recover well. Membou played right tackle last season, but should have the athleticism to handle the left side.
The next tackle to consider is Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. But there's been an odd trend among mock drafters of playing the chutes and ladders game. There's more than a dozen mock drafts on nfl.com and most have Banks going in the 20s. One recent mock had him missing the first round entirely. The Athletic has him listed as a guard in its draft rankings.
What's going on here? ESPN's Mel Kiper mentioned some issues that popped up last season, while Adam Schefter suggested Banks will be chosen higher than expected.
Watching his tape, Banks looks like the kind of powerful, low-anchor lineman that excels in the NFL. He doesn't move like Jones, but isn't likely to get bull-rushed into Caleb Williams' lap.
The Bears will always have more info than media draft experts. They've surely interviewed him, watched reps in practice, talked to coaches. Only Ryan Poles and his crew know if selecting Banks at No. 10 is a reasonable move. If he pans out, it could solidify the Bears’ offense for the next decade.
If that's not the move, the Bears could trade down or look at the second tier of tackles with one of the second-round picks. There actually might be some decent sleeper picks at the position this year, like William & Mary's Charles Grant.
If not a tackle at No. 10, then what? There's been plenty of buzz about Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, with the idea of him being the Jahmyr Gibbs to D'Andre Swift's David Montgomery, replicating Johnson's backfield in Detroit.
If Jeanty is there at No. 10, the plan makes sense. Trading up to get a running back, after already spending two draft picks to obtain the new guards is a tougher sell.
Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is frequently mocked to the Bears, but he'd just be replacing Cole Kmet down the road. It makes more sense for the Bears to fill a vacancy at a premium position.
So if not a tackle or Jeanty, the focus should shift to defense. Free agent Dayo Odeyingbo isn't the answer as a disruptive edge to pair with Montez Sweat, so that's one way to go.
The correct pick at edge is probably Georgia's Mykel Williams or Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart. Both are big, athletic, somewhat raw prospects. Georgia's Jalon Walker is mentioned in this same group, but he played more stand-up linebacker in college, so he might be more of a gamble as a straight defensive end.
Another option is to line up a cornerback to start opposite of Jaylon Johnson. Michigan's Will Johnson is another player dropping in the mocks. He missed the second half of last season with an injury and didn't run at his pro day, but his film speaks for itself. Texas' Jahdae Barron seems to be a later riser. He's undersized (5-11) and aggressive, maybe think Kyler Gordon with better cover skills.