Less than two weeks away from the NFL Draft, I decided to publish one last Bears seven round mock.

I mocked a couple trades here. The big one is the first round trade with the Steelers. It’s been rumored that the two teams have touched base on a potential deal, I would love if the parameters look like they do here.

Let’s begin:

ROUND ONE

*TRADE*

Right tackle is arguably the Bears biggest need. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr, Georgia’s Broderick Jones and Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski are all rated higher on most big boards, but Johnson & Jones are primarily left tackles and Skoronski may end up being a guard in the NFL.

Tennessee OT Darnell Wright is a true right tackle and his grade isn’t that far behind the other three. He’s a sure fire day one starter for the Bears with Pro Bowl potential.

Alabama edge rusher, Will Anderson, who many consider the top overall player in the draft calls Wright his toughest collegiate match up. High praise, indeed.

If 2 of Johnson, Jones and Skoronski are off the board at 9, I may hesitate to trade back, but that #32 pick is mighty enticing.

ROUND TWO

This is the reason I wanted that #32 pick. I want Adebawore on the Bears. He’s a freakish athlete, he ran the fastest 40 for a player his size in the history of the NFL Combine. THE FASTEST EVER FOR A GUY HIS SIZE!!!

Adebawore’s best football is ahead of him. He played out of position as an edge rusher at Northwestern, which accounts for his lack of elite production. The Bears will use him as a 3 Tech and he could dominate.

In all honesty, it’s highly likely that Adetomiwa Adebawore doesn’t make it out of the first round. If he doesn’t, I’d consider Michigan defensive lineman Mazi Smith, Minnesota center John Michael- Schmitz or a cornerback in this spot. If he’s there, though, Poles has to pounce.

*TRADE*

Well, my gamble on DJ Turner didn’t work out, he went #50 to Tampa Bay. I considered Kansas State cornerback Julius Brents, but opted to go with a pure edge rusher here.

Isaiah Foskey is another freak athlete. He’s long, fast and explosive with the college production to match. Most draft boards have him in the second tier of edge rushers and a borderline first round pick. Having him available at #53 feels like a steal.

I could have waited on a center, this is a pretty deep class, but I really like Joe Tippman. There have been some mocks that have him as a late first rounder, I think that’s too high. I have a third round grade on him, but I traded the Bears only third rounder to Pittsburgh.

Tippman has high football intelligence and great athleticism for the position. He’s not as polished as Minnesota’s John Michael-Schmitz, but he’s got long term starting potential.

With the addition of Tippman and Darnell Wright, the Bears offensive line is suddenly looking formidable.

FOURTH ROUND

I missed out on corners in the second round, but luckily Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson was still on the board when the fourth round started.

Hodges-Tomlinson is an explosive, physical corner despite his smaller stature. He profiles as a nickel corner in the NFL, but the Bears happen to have a need there.

I picked up this pick in the earlier trade with the Chargers.

Andrew Vorhees is a purely value pick. If he hadn’t torn his ACL at the combine, he was a lock as a day 2 pick. The fact that he still participated in the bench press and did 38 reps, speaks to his competitiveness.

Though they’ll get nothing from him in ‘23, Vorhees offers starting potential for years to come.

This is the fourth rounder I picked up from the Giants earlier.

Even with the addition of DJ Moore, I’d like the Bears to add another receiver in the middle rounds. Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool are both in the final year of their deals and neither is a lock for an extension.

Two mid round targets I really liked, Michigan State’s Jayden Reed and Mississippi’s Jonathan Mingo, went in the third round.

I have Michael Wilson slightly behind those two, and this pick felt like the time to pounce. He shined at the Senior Bowl and offers solid depth with adequate upside.

Bears spent big on linebackers in free agency, so there really isn’t a need, but DeMarvion Overshown is one of my favorite players in the draft.

A converted safety, Overshown has incredible athleticism and has made strides as a linebacker. He could stand to add functional strength to become an every down linebacker in the NFL, but he offers intriguing potential in sub packages and at the very least as a core special teamer.

FIFTH ROUND

I wanted to add another body to the Bears running back room. Some of my favorites went in the third round. In the fourth, I missed on Mississippi’s Zach Evans who went at #123 to Seattle. I passed on Texas’ Roschon Johnson in favor of Michael Wilson at #128.

Israel Abanikanda has top end speed and terrific cutting ability. While he offers little as a third down back, he could compete for carries with Travis Homer and perhaps take over the back up role if the Bears don’t bring back D’onta Foreman in ‘24.

I had Wisconsin’s Keeanu Benton on my radar in the late second round, but opted to go in a different direction. The Steelers actually picked him at #61, a pick they acquired from the Bears.

South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens was on my fourth round radar, but I opted for a corner at #103 and he was off the board by the time I picked at #125. He went #106 to Indianapolis.

Byron Young is a prolific run stuffer that needs to improve as a pass rusher, but he should be able to carve out a role as a rotational piece on the Bears defensive front.

He tested fair to middling at the combine which should push him into the fifth or later rounds.

SEVENTH ROUND

I had planned on using a seventh round pick on a developmental QB, but all the ones I had my eye on went earlier. I decided to add some depth to the secondary.

Jay Ward offers positional versatility as a safety or nickel back. He is fearless in run support despite his thin frame. A well respected leader on the LSU football team, Ward will, at least, add great special teams value.

My big regret in this mock is not landing a tight end in one of the better classes at that position in recent memory. This pick was my last chance to grab one with some upside. Ward offers valuable depth and special teams value, but I wonder if I should have used this pick on Clemson tight end Davis Allen.

Myles Brooks has the frame of an NFL boundary corner, and the ball skills. Where he’s lacking is top end speed and athleticism.

He profiles as strictly a reserve corner and special teamer, but his ball production warrants a flyer with the next to last pick in the draft.

RECAP

My first four picks for the Bears completely transform their offensive and defensive lines. Wright is a day one starter at right tackle and Tippman could earn the starting center job as a rookie.

Adebawore may have some growing pains adjusting to the NFL, but his athleticism and traits point to him being a very good 3 Tech. Foskey will find himself with a heavy workload as a pass rusher early in his rookie season.

These four, alone, would be cause for celebration, but I think I found some quality pieces with starting potential in the fourth round as well.

If Ryan Poles adds 4 to 6 starters and some quality depth, this will be a successful draft for the Chicago Bears.

My regrets with this mock are not grabbing a TE, as I mentioned and not landing a developmental QB, but this is a mild regret.

I waited too long to grab a RB, but it wasn’t a pressing need.

Perhaps, I should’ve have added a corner earlier. The Bears do need a nickel and, personally, I think they might need a replacement for Jaylon Johnson, because I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears let him walk after this season.

I’m excited to see how the draft actually unfolds.