NFL.com’s Chad Reuter published a three-round 2021 NFL mock draft on Monday, and it provided the Chicago Bears with a unique drat haul compared to other mock drafts that have made the rounds so far.
Chicago’s first pick, at No. 20 overall, is one that’s becoming something of a consistent theme. Reuter sends the Bears USC offensive lineman Alijah Vera-Tucker, a pick I made for Chicago in a recent first-round mock draft here.
Vera-Tucker makes a ton of sense for what the Bears’ biggest needs are at the outset of the offseason, especially because he can play tackle and guard with equal effectiveness and projects as a 10-year starter in the NFL. The Bears need more ‘nasty’ along their front-five and Vera-Tucker fits the bill.
The intrigue in Reuter’s mock draft begins in Round 2, where he has Chicago picking Florida State wide receiver Tamorrion Terry. This is the highest I’ve seen Terry valued. He’s generally considered a mid-to-late Day 3 player, so taking him at No. 53 overall is a big reach even if the Bears lose A-Rob in free agency, which is actually looking less likely.
The strange mock draft returns continue in Round 3, where Chicago stays within the Florida State program and drafts safety Hamsah Nasirildeen. It’s not that this is a bad player, but to end the first three rounds without a quarterback is taking a massive leap of faith that the Bears will be able to fix the position via trade or free agency.
Sure, Carson Wentz could be a Bear by the time you read this. But if GM Ryan Pace doesn’t pull the trigger on a trade for the former second overall pick, the Bears can’t end Day 2 without a young quarterback from the 2021 class on the roster.
I think it’s safe to say this draft haul would be barely passable for Bears fans, and it only earns a passing grade (we’re talking a D range) because of Vera-Tucker in Round 1.