With the NFL Draft just two weeks away, some national writers have updated their mock drafts. Here's a sampling of who they think the Bears will select with their first two picks at Nos. 43 and 50 overall in the second round.
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports (April 8)
No. 43:Notre Dame receiver Chase Claypool
Comment: Claypool gives the Bears a wide receiver/tight end hybrid with serious speed who plays above the rim.
No. 50: LSU guard Damien Lewis
Comment: Lewis is a one-on-one mauler with some plays of leaky pass protection but NFL strength right now.
Vinny Iyer, Sporting News (April 9)
No. 43: LSU safety Grant Delpit
Comment: The Bears need some safety help next to Eddie Jackson after losing Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix in free agency, making Delpit a great value here. Delpit (6-2, 213 pounds) flies around the field, stopping the run like an extra linebacker and making big plays on the ball in downfield coverage.
No. 50: Alabama defensive tackle Raekwon Davis
Comment:The Bears could fortify their defensive line punch next to Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman. Davis (6-6, 311 pounds) is a massive, versatile player made for a 3-4 scheme. He can line up at either end or tackle to eat space against the run.
Walter Football (April 7)
No. 43:Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland
Comment: The Bears' offensive line took a huge hit last year, which was the primary reason for their regression. They'll need to address their blocking.
No. 50: TCU receiver Jaren Reagor
Comment: The Bears lost Taylor Gabriel this offseason, but they needed another receiver to go along with Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller anyway. Jalen Reagor is a blazing-fast receiver who can go the distance whenever he touches the ball.
Kevin Hanson, Sports Illustrated (April 9)
No. 43: Michigan inside linebacker Cesar Ruiz
No. 50:Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn
Matt Miller, Bleacher Report (April 1)
No. 43: Lenoir-Rhyne safety Kyle Dugger
No. 50: Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet
Todd McShay, ESPN (March 30)
No. 43: Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette
Comment: The Bears didn't yield much in the passing game last season, but they also didn't do much in forcing turnovers. Plus, free agency cleaned out the secondary a bit. Arnette has smooth hips and some twitch to his game.
No. 50: TCU receiver Jalen Reagor
Comment: We gave the Bears a corner earlier on Day 2, and they still need a safety. But with no value there, it's a good place to bring in another receiver for Nick Foles and/or Mitchell Trubisky. Reagor has wheels.
With the 2020 NFL Draft set to kick off in just over two weeks, senior writer Larry Mayer ranks the top 10 drafts in Bears history.
(10) 1954
The Bears landed two key offensive stars in the 1954 draft in second-round fullback Rick Casares and 15th-round receiver Harlon Hill. Casares played 10 seasons with the Bears, rushing for 5,675 yards and 49 touchdowns on 1,386 carries. He was the franchise's all-time leader rusher until he was surpassed by Walter Payton in 1979. Hill spent eight seasons with the Bears. He was voted NFL Rookie of the Year in 1954, became the first winner of the Jim Thorpe Trophy as league MVP in 1955, and was a three-time All Pro selection.
(9) 2003
The Bears spent second- and third-round picks in 2003 on cornerback Charles Tillman and linebacker Lance Briggs, who helped fuel a defense that led the team to three NFC North titles in six seasons from 2005-10. In consecutive road wins over the Cowboys and Jaguars in 2012, Tillman and Briggs became the first teammates in NFL history to both return interceptions for touchdowns in back-to-back games.
(8) 2000
The Bears hit back-to-back home runs in the first two rounds of the 2000 draft when they selected Hall of Fame middle linebacker Brian Urlacher at No. 9 and safety Mike Brown at No. 39. Urlacher was the face of the franchise for more than a decade, earning eight trips to the Pro Bowl and the 2005 NFL defensive player of the year award. Brown was the heart-and-soul of the defense; a two-time All-Pro who recorded 17 interceptions with the Bears.
(7) 1939
Before the 1938 season, the Bears traded end Edgar "Eggs" Manske to the Steelers in exchange for their first-round pick in 1939. The Bears used the selection to choose Hall of Fame quarterback Sid Luckman second overall. Luckman led the Bears to four league titles and helped revolutionize pro football by helping to introduce the "T" formation. The Bears also landed fullback Bill Osmanski with the sixth pick in the first round and guard Ray Bray in the ninth round.
(6) 1940
The Bears selected Hall of Fame center/tackle/linebacker Clyde "Bulldog" Turner with the seventh pick in the first round of the draft. An eight-time first-team All-Pro, Turner helped the Bears win four NFL championships in his first seven seasons and remained with the team through 1952. The Bears also spent a second-round pick on receiver Ken Kavanaugh, who remains the franchise's all-time leader with 50 touchdown receptions.
(5) 1981
First-round right tackle Keith Van Horne started 169 games over 13 seasons with the Bears on some of the best offensive lines in NFL history. Fourth-round safety Todd Bell also thrived before sitting out the 1985 season due to a contract dispute. But the key to the 1981 draft was the selection of Hall of Fame middle linebacker Mike Singletary in the second round at No. 38 overall.
(4) 1975
The Bears selected the great Walter Payton with the fourth overall pick in the first round. But Sweetness was just one of nine players from the '75 draft who would eventually become a starter. The crop included a pair of steals in safety Doug Plank in the 12th round and fullback Roland Harper in the 17th round.
(3) 1936
The Bears landed two Hall of Famers in the very first NFL draft when they picked offensive linemen Joe Stydahar in the first round and Danny Fortmann in the ninth round. Playing next to each other on the left side of the Bears offensive line, Stydahar and Fortmann helped the "Monsters of the Midway" revolutionize the NFL with the T-formation.
(2) 1965
The Bears selected a pair of legendary Hall of Famers in middle linebacker Dick Butkus and running back Gale Sayers with back-to-back picks in the first round at Nos. 3 and 4. Both are considered among the greatest players to ever line up at their respective positions. The '65 draft also produced receiver Dick Gordon in the seventh round.
(1) 1983
The 1983 draft produced seven starters on the 1985 Super Bowl championship team, including Hall of Famers Jimbo Covert in the first round and defensive end Richard Dent in the eighth round. The impressive haul also included Willie Gault, Mike Richardson, Dave Duerson, Tom Thayer and Mark Bortz.
