2017 NFL Draft: Mike Mayock's positional rankings for the Chicago Bears’ needs

Last month we spotlighted the top players at the Chicago Bears’ need positions according to the positional rankings of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr, and this time out we’re taking a look at the positional rankings from the NFL Network’s Mike Mayock.

The Bears have a lot of needs, from the more obvious quarterback, safety, cornerback, to the less needy, but just as important edge rusher, defensive line and wide receiver. Free agency will fill some of their needs, but when you end a season with three wins, you could use talent all over the roster.

Here are Mayock’s top 5 rankings at some of the positions I feel the Bears could address early in the 2017 NFL draft.

Quarterback

1. DeShone Kizer, Notre Dame
2. Deshaun Watson, Clemson
3. Mitch Trubisky, North Carolina
4. Patrick Mahomes II, Texas Tech
5. Davis Webb, California

My favorite prospect among these is Watson, mostly because of his knack to come through when the spotlight is largest. Kizer may be the most physically gifted of all the QBs in the draft. I’m curious to see how he looks at the combine.

Wide receiver

1. Corey Davis, Western Michigan
2. Mike Williams, Clemson
3. John Ross, Washington
4. Cooper Kupp, Eastern Washington
5. Zay Jones, East Carolina

Kupp is a player that really helped himself at the Senior Bowl, so much so that he may sneak into the first round.

Tight end

1. O.J. Howard, Alabama
2. David Njoku, Miami
3. Evan Engram, Ole Miss
4. Jake Butt, Michigan
5. Gerald Everett, South Alabama

I’ve seen Butt mocked to the Bears in the 3rd round, which I would be OK with. He just has to prove hes recovered from his ACL injury.

Offensive tackle

1. Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
2. Garett Bolles, Utah
3. Antonio Garcia, Troy
4. Roderick Johnson, Florida State
T-5. Taylor Moton, Western Michigan
T-5. Jermaine Eluemunor, Texas A&M

I don’t have OT as big a need as some, but right now there isn’t a back-up swing tackle signed to the roster. If one of these guys fell into the Bears’ laps, I’be be fine with him battling it out for a starting job.

Interior DL

1. Jonathan Allen, Alabama
2. Caleb Brantley, Florida
3. Malik McDowell, Michigan State
4. Larry Ogunjobi, Charlotte
5. Chris Wormley, Michigan

Allen is a popular mock to the Bears in the first round, and this is a position they could use more talent at.

Edge rusher

1. Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
2. Tim Williams, Alabama
3. Derek Barnett, Tennessee
4. Solomon Thomas, Stanford
5. Takkarist McKinley, UCLA

You can never have enough pass rushers and if somehow Garrett slips to the Bears at 3, GM Ryan Pace will be ecstatic.

Cornerback

1. Sidney Jones, Washington
2. Marshon Lattimore, Ohio State
3. Marlon Humphrey, Alabama
4. Teez Tabor, Florida
5. Tre'Davious White, LSU

Yesterday we looked at a mock that had Lattimore going to the Bears at three overall. I’m not sure if the Bears will address a corner that high, but nabbing one in the 2nd or 3rd is a possibility. Unfortunately for those of you that are digging this list of 5, odds are good all will be off the board when it come sback around to the Bears’ 2nd round pick. But, this is a very good draft for corners, so there will be talent available.

Safety

1. Malik Hooker, Ohio State
2. Jamal Adams, LSU
3. Jabrill Peppers, Michigan
4. Budda Baker, Washington
5. Obi Melifonwu, Connecticut

If the Bears don’t go safety at 3 overall, they could luck into a stud in the 2nd round. There’s a lot of secondary talent in the draft this year.

That’s 41 different prospects in the 2017 NFL Draft, do any of these guys stand out to you as possible 1st, 2nd or 3rd round picks of the Bears?