The Chicago Bears enter the 2021 offseason with a lot of questions that need to be answered and their position in the 2021 NFL Draft could help them snag a top notch talent. The Bears, who lost in the Wild Card round of the playoffs to the New Orleans Saints, have some solid pieces, but they’ll need a strong draft to get back in contention next season.
Some areas the Bears need to look to address in the first round include offensive line, wide receiver, quarterback, and some secondary help. The Bears currently own the 20th overall pick in the draft and could use that spot to address a need.
It’s unsure of the moves the Bears will look to make this offseason, but they do need to make some. Mitchell Trubisky is on his way out the door and the only other quarterback they have on the roster is Nick Foles. Addressing the quarterback of the future this offseason needs to be a priority.
While the Bears already have some playoff caliber talent, they could look to get past the first round by adding some solid talent to the team. Here’s a look at four players the Chicago Bears should look to draft in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama
One of the biggest needs for the Bears has to be their offensive line. One of the best exterior offensive linemen in the entire NFL Draft is none other than Alabama’s Alex Leatherwood.
Leatherwood, a 6-foot-6 offensive tackle, would be the best offensive tackle in the draft if it weren’t for Oregon’s Penei Sewell. Leatherwood has all the tangibles you look for from a starting offensive lineman and his speed for his size is intimidating.
He would be the anchor of a needy Chicago offensive line and would help keep whichever signal caller is under center for the Bears in 2021 clean. If Leatherwood is available at pick number 20, the Bears should certainly consider giving him a call.
Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech
Christian Darrisaw is a 6-foot-5, 314-pound offensive tackle out of Virginia Tech who won’t have to wait too long to hear his name called in April’s NFL Draft. Darrisaw is one of the top offensive tackles in this year’s draft and if he’s available at pick number 20, the Bears should consider making him a first-round pick.
Darrisaw made 34 starts as a left tackle at Virginia Tech after winning the starting job as a Freshman and his powerful get off is impressive. His play style reminds me a lot of Tristan Wirfs, a first-round pick by Tampa Bay in 2020, and we’ve seen Wirfs shut down guys like Cameron Jordan, Joey Bosa, and Khalil Mack this season.
The Bears could have their left tackle of the future in Darrisaw and they should draft the star lineman. If Chicago wants to make a smart decision on draft night, they should draft Christian Darrisaw.
Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State
The Bears need to address their quarterback situation and a great player who could be able to help them do that is Trey Lance. Lance, a 20-year-old gun slinger from North Dakota State, doesn’t have a ton of college experience, but he thrived when given an opportunity.
Chicago loves to go after raw prospects and they could very well get a raw prospect in Lance. Lance, in basically one full season as a quarterback, logged a 67 percent completion percentage, tossed 2,798 passing yards, and had a touchdown to interception ratio of 28 to 0.
Lance has never thrown an interception in college and that’s the kind of player the Bears need on their team. Lance has a strong arm and has some great athleticism as well. He ran the football 177 times in his college career for 1,182 rushing yards (6.7 yards per carry) and scored 16 times. Lance has the tools NFL GM’s are looking for and the Bears could possibly snag him at pick number 20.
Mac Jones, QB, Alabama
The Bears, in a perfect world, would be able to snag a highly talented quarterback in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Unfortunately for the Bears, the top few signal callers will likely be off the board before they pick at 20, but they could snag a very good player like Mac Jones instead.
Jones, a quarterback from Alabama, is being overlooked by a lot of analysts. He is a proven winner who waited his turn at Alabama. In 2020, Jones completed a staggering 77.4 percent of his passes, tossed 4,500 passing yards, and had an impressive touchdown to interception ratio of 56:7.
He would give the Bears stability at the quarterback position, which is an area they desperately need help in. If they managed to get Jones at pick number 20, you can consider them lucky because they may have gotten the biggest steal in the draft.
