Mocking the Mocks: Mel Kiper’s latest is all about the trenches for the Bears

The Chicago Bears are sure to address the offensive line early, and if there isn't a trade back, the nine spot has seen players like Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr., Georgia's Broderick Jones, and Northwestern's Peter Skoronski all mocked to them. But in Mel Kiper's fourth version of his mock, the ESPN draft guru has the Bears going in a positional direction that will make a lot of fans happy, but the value question is sure to come up.

9. Chicago Bears (via CAR) - Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Chicago dropped eight spots in Round 1 but picked up a massive haul in its trade with Carolina, allowing it to keep premium picks in this draft and add future capital as well. And if it wants to add an ins tant starter at No. 9, offensive tackle is the position to target. I like Wright’s opportunity with the Bears if we’re strictly looking at right tackles, since Braxton Jones held his own on the left side last season. Wright started 27 games at right tackle in college; his tape against Will Anderson Jr. and Alabama was phenomenal. He’s the best right tackle in this class. My pal Louis Riddick is a huge fan too. This is a selection to keep quarterback Justin Fields clean.

In Kiper's scenario, Wright is the first offensive lineman off the board, which would be surprising based on the countless mocks we've looked at already. But if the Bears truly believe that Wright is a day one starter at right tackle with Pro Bowl upside, then would this really be a bad pick?

Let's say the Bears receive zero offers to trade back that make sense, so they stay at nine and take the top player on their board. It's possible that Wright's athleticism and right tackle experience gives him a bump on their board.

I would prefer a trade down while still landing Wright, but if that's not in the cards, I think I'd get on board with a pick like this.

53. Chicago Bears (from BAL) - BJ Ojulari, DE, LSU

When you watch Ojulari’s tape from 2021 and 2022, he often looks like a top-20 pick. Then there are some plays in which he gets blown off the ball and looks like a Day 3 selection. Can he put all of his talent together? He had 80 QB pressures over the past two seasons. The Bears badly need help getting after quarterbacks. If they don’t take an edge rusher at No. 9 overall, they have to add one here.

Ojulari is an option for 3-4 teams as an outside linebacker, but his juice off the edge as a pass rusher makes him an intriguing option for 40 front teams too. He may take a few years to develop into a three-down player, but the Bears have a few defensive ends that can play the run on first down. They need a player that can get after the quarterback.

61. Chicago Bears (from SF/CAR) - Jaquelin Roy, DT, LSU

Roy is a 305-pound nose tackle prospect who is powerful against the run. He’s hard to block. In this scenario, he could battle to start with Andrew Billings, who was signed this offseason. Chicago has to keep building up the trenches; I’ve gone O-line or D-line with each of their top three picks.

Back-to-back Tigers for the Bears here, and this is another solid prospect. I don't think he'd be able to beat out Billings, but he'd definitely be a rotational lineman as a rookie. And remember that Billings only signed a one-year deal, so Chicago could draft a one-technique defensive tackle at some point.

What are your thoughts on this mock for the Bears? Any problems with the value?