With the 2019 NFL season officially concluding with Sunday's Super Bowl, it's time to turn the page to the 2020 campaign.
And what better way to do that than to look at who a couple of NFL analysts think the Bears will select in the April 23-25 NFL Draft.
While the Bears traded their first-round pick to the Raiders as part of the blockbuster trade to land outside linebacker Khalil Mack in 2018, they have two selections in the second round: the No. 43 choice they obtained from Oakland in the Mack deal and their own pick at No. 50.
In a mock draft posted Monday, NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter is predicting that the Bears will select LSU guard Damien Lewis at No. 43 and Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks at No. 50.
Lewis played the last two seasons at LSU after transferring from Mississippi Community College. He started all 27 games at right guard, including all 14 in 2019 when the Tigers won the national championship. The 6-3, 332-pounder was named first-team All-America by The Athletic and was part of an LSU line that won the Joe Moore Award as the nation's best unit.
Brooks was a four-year starter at Texas Tech, where he appeared in 46 games and recorded 360 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 32.0 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, six pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Last season as a senior the 6-1, 240-pounder registered career highs with 108 tackles, 3.0 sacks and 20.0 tackles-for-loss.
In another mock draft posted Monday, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is predicting that the Bears will choose Purdue tight end Brycen Hopkins at No. 43 and Georgia tackle Isaiah Wilson at No. 50.
In 48 games over four seasons at Purdue, Hopkins caught 130 passes for 1,945 yards and 16 touchdowns. Last season the 6-5, 245-pounder set career highs in all receiving categories with 61 receptions, 830 yards and 7 TDs.
After redshirting in 2017, Wilson was a two-year starter at right tackle at Georgia, where he was named Associated Press second-team All-SEC. The 6-7, 340-pounder, who arrived at Georgia as a five-star recruit from Brooklyn, N.Y., is a redshirt sophomore who declared early for the draft.
