Bleacher Nation

● By Patrick Flowers
The plan for the Chicago Bears mock drafts was simple: one after the Super Bowl, another after the combine, another after free agency, and one final swing before the 2024 NFL Draft, with the possibility of an extra installment if and when Justin Fields was traded. But nothing is ever as simple as it seems. Thirty-six hours after I published the post-combine version, the Bears made a trade and not the one we were all waiting on. Adding Ryan Bates for a fifth-round pick changed my second version of the mock. It removed a fifth-round pick from the equation and changed the value I placed on Jackson Powers-Johnson in the first round. So, I returned to the drawing board because accuracy is important, as I said when I started this series. The purpose is to inform. Which players would realistically help the Bears become a better team in 2024, and what do they bring to the table? For that reason, I’ve had some repeat selections. I feel strongly that those players fit in certain positions in the draft for the Bears.