Mocking the Mocks: Who did it best for the Bears?

The three main Chicago Bears guys over at NBC Sports Chicago, Adam Hoge, JJ Stankevitz, and Cam Ellis, got together to mock the 1st through 50th picks in the 2020 NFL Draft, and when it came to the Bears selections at 43 and 50, each of them had Chicago going in a different direction.

We’ll spotlight the two players each of them mocked and we want you guys to vote on who has the best haul. To get a good idea of the players available when each picked, you can check out their 1-50 mock right here.

Adam Hoge

43. Chicago Bears – Lloyd Cushenberry, OL, LSU

Hoge: Ryan Pace has had success with quiet, high-character interior linemen in the second round. Cushenberry could join Cody Whitehair and James Daniels on the Bears’ interior, giving them a boost in the running game they badly need. Cushenberry was primarily a center at LSU, but has the capability of moving to guard, giving new offensive line coach Juan Castillo some options on how he wants to deploy the interior trio – all drafted in the second round.

50. Chicago Bears – Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama

Hoge: Hurts is a much better passer than he gets credit for. There are fair concerns about his ability to process and anticipate throws, but he plays with extreme confidence and elevates the players around him. Hurts can play quarterback at the next level and would be a great spot learning from Nick Foles in Matt Nagy’s offense.

Hoge was the one mock drafter to address the quarterback spot, so my guess is anyone that is unhappy with the current Nick Foles / Mitchell Trubisky quarterback room will favor this mock. Getting a developmental QB from this rookie class is a must, and Hurts at 50 is an option I’m sure the Bears have discussed. But I would be surprised if they went with a QB at this spot considering the other prospects that would be able to step in and help as rookies.

His pick at 43 seems about as safe as they come, and that’s fine with me. Cushenberry has all the tools to be a mainstay on the interior of an NFL o-line for years to come. Whether at center, or kicked over to guard, he’ll be able to be a day one started for the Bears.

JJ Stankevitz

43. Bears: Kyle Dugger, S, Lenoir-Rhyne

Stankevitz: The 6-foot, 217 pound Dugger feels like Ryan Pace’s kind of pick. He has tremendous upside as a versatile in-the-box safety who can do it all — the exact kind of player the Bears need to pair with Eddie Jackson, allowing Jackson to play more single high when Chuck Pagano calls for it. That Dugger is from Division-II Lenoir-Rhyne (bonus points if you know what state it’s in)? That doesn’t matter much. I think the Bears use one of their two second-round picks on a safety, and there are a ton of good players available here, like Grant Delpit (Cam’s pick!), Jeremy Chinn and Ashtyn Davis. But Dugger emerges as the guy.

50. Bears: Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame

Stankevitz: The sensible thing to do here might be to take an interior offensive lineman, but with Robert Hunt off the board, 50 might be high for any of the other guys (John Simpson, Damien Lewis). Trading back out of either/both second-round picks would be a good idea and could still get the Bears the bruising interior run blocker they need. But if they’re staying at 50? Give me Claypool, whose combination of size (6-foot-4, 238 pounds) and speed (4.42 40-yard dash) make him an ideal fit at the wide receiver spot vacated by Taylor Gabriel.

Duggar’s first chance to shine at a higher level than Division II was the Senior Bowl, and he passed that test with scouts coming away impressed with his week of practice. He plays a physical brand of football, but don’t sleep on his speed and athleticism.

And I get the bonus points because I know where his college is!

Claypool is another athletic marvel, but his NFL position is still a question mark as a move to tight end could be in his future, which is something he’s okay with. “I really haven’t put a lot of thought into that because I’ve been a receiver this whole time. But it’s something that I think could add versatility to my game. But right now I’m just focused on being the best receiver I can be,” Claypool said via Colts.com about a possible move to tight end. “Like I said, I think I’ve proved I can be versatile in terms of inside, outside, No. 3 receiver, tight end. So I think I can be one of those rare guys who can line up at all positions on the field and do well, especially because I did that in my college career.”

The Bears employ two distinct tight ends, the Y (in-line) and the U (move), and Claypool has the skill set for the latter. His size and athleticism gives his future team plenty of options.

Cam Ellis

43. Chicago: Grant Delpit, S, LSU

Ellis: Deon Bush is a playable safety, but that shouldn’t stop the Bears from wanting more. Delpit is one of the best safeties in this year’s class, winning the Jim Thorpe award in 2019 (though he was much better the year prior.) He’s a hard hitter who can play up in the box without sacrificing coverage responsibilities, freeing Eddie Jackson up to go back to his ideal positioning.

50. Chicago: Isaiah Wilson, OL, Georgia

Ellis: He’s 6’7 and 350 lbs. 6’7! 350! He’s probably not ready to start on Day 1, but the right side of the Bears’ line isn’t exactly overflowing with quality right now. If he wins a job in camp, so be it. If not, the Bears have someone getting ready to eventually take over for Rashaad Coward/Germain Ifedi/Bobby Massie.

If Delpit falls he’s a no-brainer due to his Tiger pedigree, and he’d be a possible day one starter for the Bears. His overall numbers and tape was better in 2018, but he battled through an ankle sprain most of 2019.

Wilson, a redshirt sophomore with two years starting at right tackle for the Bulldogs, is a high ceiling mauler that could even compete at right guard as a rookie for offensive line coach Juan Castillo. But once he tightens up his technique he’ll be the right tackle for the next several years.

Check out how their full mock fell and let us know who did it best.