We are just 11 days away from the 2024 NFL Draft, so the Bears’ draft needs are in pretty obvious focus currently. After probable drafting Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall choice, GM Ryan Poles will aim to utilize the remaining three draft picks at his disposal to fix the team’s offensive and defensive lines and maybe add another playmaker on offense. How he does it is still up for debate, however.

As always, this mock draft is not an attempt to forecast what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason.

That’s impossible. Nor is it meant as a recommendation of what the Bears should do. This mock draft is supposed to be a fun way to discuss wild ideas, dive into some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and project how those players may fit in Chicago.

Turning in the card is a formality at this stage. Williams’ collegiate tape is as amazing as it gets. The Bears have been enthused about Williams’ temperament and personality during their meetings. A new era of Bears football will begin on April 25. For all our coverage of the QB phenomena, click here.

By the time the Bears are on the clock, all three of the top wide receivers (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze) are off the board. So is highly-touted left tackle Joe Alt.

The way things turned out in this mock draft, the Bears had the option to take the first defensive player of the class, but with J.J. McCarthy still available, the Poles had the opportunity to trade back a few spots and pick up a second-round pick in the process. If he makes the trade, the team can still add a Week 1 contributor after trading back.

Everything is about helping Williams thrive, so Poles adds Fashanu, a top-notch pass protector. By selecting Fashanu, Poles gives Williams a familiar face in the locker room, considering the two were high school teammates at Gonzaga College High School in Washington, D.C. Fashanu has great stature for a left tackle, and experts admire his ability to shut off a variety of pass rush moves and his excellent awareness on the field.

If there’s a knock on Fashanu, it’s that he’s not considered as powerful of a run blocker as he is at pass pro, but it would be tough for him to match his pass prowess. According to PFF, Fashanu never gave up a sack in 1,347 snaps with the Nittany Lions at left tackle.

Braxton Jones isn’t as horrible of a tackle as his reputation on social media might suggest, but Fashanu would be an upgrade in pass protection. Adding Fashanu also allows the Bears to transfer Jones to backup duties, which gives the team a big boost compared to their depth last year when Larry Borom struggled as a reserve.

Odunze has garnered a lot of attention as a great deep threat, and for good reason. He’s excellent working down the field and he puts up massive numbers on explosive plays. But if the Bears are looking for a vertical pass-catching option and miss out on Odunze, then Franklin would be a good consolation reward.

Franklin caught an incredible 73.5% of his targets during the 2022 and 2023 seasons and averaged 16.7 yards per reception over those two seasons.

Franklin hit the end zone enough to go with those explosive playmaking abilities, with 22 touchdowns since 2022. Right now, Franklin works best as a pure vertical threat, something the Bears have lacked for many seasons.

That verticality also complements the skillsets of DJ Moore and Keenan Allen well, as they also excel in the intermediate sections of the field. If there’s a knock on Franklin, it’s that he’s inconsistent on contested receptions and has had a propensity for drops at times.

Bears supporters yelling at their TVs for the club to draft a pass rusher ultimately get their way. Some consider Trice a touch undersized at just 245 lbs., but Trice makes up for his lesser size with exceptional speed, agility, and a terrific drive.

Trice never quits on a play and made several stops with his second and third efforts at Washington. That’s the type of play that might differentiate Trice from other Day Two pass rushers for the Bears.

Trice translated all of those outstanding attributes into great output for the Huskies. Over the two seasons, Trice has 16 sacks, 23.5 TFL, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Per PFF, Trice finished tied for 25th in the country with a 19% pass rush victory rate in 2023 (min. 100 pass rush snaps). No one topped his 27.5% win rate in 2022.