Albert Breer of the MMQB is among the more well-respected insiders in the business. His reports on the Chicago Bears deserve special acknowledgment since his accuracy has been solid among national guys. He proved that again last month when he correctly pinpointed that the team would likely trade the #1 pick and that Carolina was the team to watch. So it would always be interesting to hear what he has to say regarding the Bears’ plans for the 9th overall pick in this draft.
Breer only releases one mock draft each year, and it’s based entirely on what he’s been hearing around the league. That might explain why they’re often quite accurate. According to the analytic website Fantasy Pros, he had the most accurate mock draft of anybody in 2022. He correctly predicted several picks outright and also had several instances of pinpointing teams targeting specific positions. So it would be interesting to see what he has the Bears doing. We don’t have to wait any longer.
“Chicago Bears (via CAR): Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
Deep down, I think Johnson will go higher than this (you might be able to flip-flop this pick with the Raiders’ pick). But this, at least in my mind, would be the floor for Johnson, a high-character, tall, long 21 year old who looks like he came off a left tackle assembly line. While he needs to get stronger, he’s young and will have time to do it, and so the ceiling is really high. Skoronski would make sense, too. I’ve heard the Bears would be good with Carter. If he slips, I could see them taking him, and that is in part because, if an offensive lineman they like isn’t there, my sense is they would look for a defensive lineman here.”
Albert Breer stays in line with his information.
He reported a few days prior that Poles was a big fan of Johnson. Peter King of NBC Sports also predicted the big Ohio State left tackle lands in Chicago if he’s there at #9. Some have suggested it’s possible he won’t be on the board. Arizona has been linked to him a few times in the past week. If nothing else, this further confirms that Johnson and Jalen Carter are the top two players on the Bears’ draft board. That isn’t a huge surprise. Both would solve a huge need for the team as it continues rebuilding.
Where it gets interesting is in two scenarios. What happens if both players are available at #9, or what happens if neither is? If it’s both, the belief is they’ll prioritize Carter. He’s the better overall talent despite his obvious off-the-field concerns. If it’s neither, it’s a strong possibility Poles will look to trade down. Albert Breer seems to think one of them will be there, and Johnson is the more likely of the two. If that is the case, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Chicago stay put and take their guy.
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