Chicago Bears wheel and deal in final 7-round mock draft for 2021

The Chicago Bears move down instead of up in our final 2021 mock draft. They get their targets and address a lot of their needs.

This is one of the most important drafts for the Chicago Bears, especially general manager Ryan Pace. He is already on the hot seat after only one winning season since he arrived in Chicago in 2015.

Yes, the Bears made two playoff appearances in the last three seasons, but they have no playoff wins to show for it. Additionally, they finished just 8-8 the last two seasons and their last playoff appearance was due to the league adding an extra team to the playoffs.

The team as assembled doesn’t look like a contender. The 2021 NFL Draft can help change all that. Pace had a very good draft last year, adding three players who contributed as key players (Cole Kmet, Jaylon Johnson, and Darnell Mooney). They also had a few others who helped in rotation and could be ready to play a bigger role on the team this season.

In this draft, I use trades for the first time. I’ve shied from making trades because they almost never come even close to what is predicted. That likely happens with this mock draft, but I’ll give it a try.

Many experts predict Pace and the Bears moving up to get one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. That may be the case, but leveraging future draft picks on untested prospects is a big risk. The Bears tried to swing a deal for Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Trading all those picks for him is different. We know what he brings to the table. As good as those quarterback prospects might be, we don’t know how they’ll play once they’re in the NFL.

The Bears need to address a number of areas. Yes, the quarterback spot is the most important one, but they can get a good prospect later in the draft without giving up so much draft capital. By trading down, they can still pick up some of the prospects they want and pick up more picks not only for this year but also for next year’s draft.

Here is our final Chicago Bears mock draft for 2021.

Chicago Bears 2021 mock draft: Round 1

Instead of trading up for one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, the Chicago Bears end up trading down to pick up some more picks. They give up their 20th overall pick to the Buffalo Bills but still pick in the first round. It’ll be their first pick in the first round since 2018.

Of their eight picks in the draft before the trade, four of them were in the sixth round. Yes, Pace has had success later in the draft but when it comes to the sixth round, it’s difficult to hit on four sixth-round prospects. This trade now gives the Bears two second-round picks and two third-round picks.

While Pace has had his trouble drafting in the first round, he did pick up Roquan Smith in 2018, a very good pick. He picks up another good one this year.

One of the things that helps a team change its losing culture is to add some winners. Alex Leatherwood comes from Alabama so he’s used to being around a winning attitude. He’ll bring that attitude to the Chicago offensive line.

Leatherwood was a solid first-round prospect in 2019 but he decided to stay in school. He didn’t have the same dominating season in 2020 that he did in 2019, however. He was still an integral part of the Crimson Tide’s national title run.

Leatherwood is an experienced, athletic left tackle. He has a wide base and almost always stays square. He fires off the snap and has a great blocking vision. His footwork and lateral movement are impressive. He uses great hand placement to move pass rushers out of their attack angles.

Leatherwood needs to increase his strength. He could use a year with a professional strength training program. He has all the tools to be a good starter in the NFL.

It appears that Charles Leno will stay with the Bears for the last year of his contract, but he likely doesn’t return in 2022. Leatherwood can push Leno and possibly beat him out at camp. If that’s the case, the Bears could cut Leno and receive a $9 million break in salary cap space. The Bears haven’t picked an offensive tackle above the fifth round since 2011 and it’s time they do so now.