The NFL free agency frenzy is nearing an end and the NFL front offices across the league are now starting to shift their focus to the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears are one of the more intriguing teams to keep an eye on in the NFL Draft as they have quite the selection of needs and the ability to make a splash in the draft.

The Bears have done a solid job this offseason that started with them adding quarterback Andy Dalton, running back Damien Williams, and cornerback Desmond Trufant. While the Bears gave some of their roster a facelift, they still have some other areas on their roster that need some work and they could use the 2021 NFL Draft to help them do that.

Chicago is poised to build off their 2020 season that saw them reach the playoffs before losing in the first round to the New Orleans Saints. The Bears have already upgraded some areas of their roster, but they could improve even more with the addition of some young draft prospects.

The Bears and their draft strategy is a big question mark right now, but they’re sure to land some solid talent in the first round. Let’s take a look at three players the Bears should consider drafting in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft at pick No. 20.

Number One: Justin Fields, Quarterback, Ohio State

The Chicago Bears need to find their quarterback of the future and it’s evident that it’s not going to be Andy Dalton. Dalton is a solid stop gap quarterback, but the team will need to add a reliable player to develop behind him for a season before taking over the starting role.

One of the players the Bears could have their sights set on is Ohio State’s Justin Fields. Fields is my biggest prospect that I’m predicting to fall in the draft due to the array of other talent that’s available and the Bears could swipe him up at pick number 20 if he falls that far.

Fields is a great dual threat signal caller who is as blue collar as they come. His athletic ability could bail the Bears out of their suspect offensive line and he could be the guy that leads Chicago to a playoff win. If Fields begins to slide, don’t be shocked if the Bears do what it takes to pick him up.

Number Two: Kellen Mond, Quarterback, Texas A&M

The Bears have been vocal about wanting to pursue a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft and if all the top tier quarterbacks are off the board they could snag Kellen Mond in the first round. Mond isn’t on many expert’s first round radar, but the Bears could snag him early to ensure they have their guy under center.

Mond is a bit of a project quarterback, but he wouldn’t have to play right away anyways. He would get to join the Bears and learn behind Nick Foles and Andy Dalton for a season and get his first year under his belt. Mond is a dual threat quarterback who can torch opposing defenses with his arm and his legs, which is what the Bears seem to be looking for out of their next franchise quarterback.

Sure, this pick may be a bit of reach for Mond, but all the potential is there for him to thrive in the NFL. The Bears can’t afford to risk waiting until the second round to snag Mond, so they should look to grab him with their 20th overall selection instead.

Number Three: Christian Darrisaw, Offensive Tackle, Northwestern

The Bears also have a need at the offensive tackle position, and they could look to snag Virginia Tech offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw at pick number 20. Darrisaw is as good of an offensive tackle prospect as they come and he could be a day one starter for the Bears if they picked him at number 20.

The Bears and Darrisaw have had conversations throughout the offseason and the team seems likely to select him if he’s available. Darrisaw has a great initial punch off the line of scrimmage and thrives in both run and pass coverage. Dalton is going to need the offensive line to keep him upright and adding Darrisaw would be a great investment to do just that.

Darrisaw is going to be the player the Bears take if a top-tier quarterback isn’t available and that would be a wise investment. He would start from the jump and could be a long-term answer on the offensive line to build around in years to come.