New Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has several roster holes to fill and not a whole lot of draft picks to it.
The Bears currently have five draft picks in the 2022 NFL draft, and they’ll be without their first-round selection after trading up to acquire quarterback Justin Fields last year. Chicago’s first selection will come in the second round at Pick 39.
There are no shortage of positional needs for the Bears, but the most pressing are wide receiver, offensive line and cornerback.
ESPN’s Jordan Reid revealed a new two-round mock draft following the Senior Bowl, where he has the Bears targeting Purdue wide receiver David Bell with the 39th overall pick.
New general manager Ryan Poles has his work cut out at the receiver position, with only Darnell Mooney under contract next season. Bell, who had 93 catches for 1,286 yards last season, is a smooth route runner with consistent hands. He proved over the past two seasons that he can be counted upon as a go-to option in the passing game. Bell doesn’t have outstanding speed, but he executes the details on his route stems and has a knack for finishing catches at the catch point. Chicago doesn’t have a first-round pick, which means it needs to hit on this one.
Considering Darnell Mooney is the only wide receiver currently under contract, the expectation is the Bears will address the position both in free agency and the draft.
The development of Fields is crucial for the Bears moving forward, and Poles needs to surround him with more weapons. Bell is a physical receiver who brings long-ball speed, ball-tracking skills and great hands to the table, and he’s someone that could pair well with Mooney.
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