2022 Chicago Bears NFL Team Mock Draft Breakdown

Back again to break down my NFL Mock Draft 5.0, this time from a team-by-team viewpoint. After Mock Draft 4.0 came out in March, I started this series with the Jets, Giants, Lions, Eagles, Jaguars, Dolphins, Bills, and Patriots. Now with just 19 days left until the NFL Draft – I am on a quest to rip through the final 20 teams. Today features the Chicago Bears mock draft. If you want to see your favorite team next, go to Twitter @CarpentierNFL and leave me a comment on what team you want to see broken down next. Below you will find an explanation for each mock draft selection made for the Green Bay Packers, thanks for tagging along.

Chicago Bears Mock Draft

No. 39 – Daniel Faalele, OT – Minnesota

In 2021, the Bears selected Teven Jenkins out of Oklahoma State to play left tackle for the next 10 years. He started two games and played in six last year. With Germain Ifedi and James Daniels departing, Chicago will again look to the Draft to fill the void. Just as Jenkins was looked at as a bit of a project, so too is Daniel Faalele.

Daniel Faalele Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile

The 6-8, 390-pound superhuman from Minnesota showed great skill in the run game. But he lacked true athleticism in pass blocking at the college level, and was subpar at the Senior Bowl. Larry Borom started 8 games for Chicago in 2021. So they have some flexibility if Faalele isn’t ready in Week 1. But this is the price you pay for trading away your first round pick.

No. 48 – Alec Pierce, WR – Cincinnati

Entering the Senior Bowl, Alec Pierce was thought of as a late third/early fourth round pick in the Draft. But not so fast. After two above-average to good days in Mobile, he left the Senior Bowl without playing in the game. I physically saw him leaving the airport, but I wasn’t going to be that guy to ask why. I just had to infer it was one of two things. Either he had received really good news from scouts and coaches, or he was hurt. And I didn’t see anything wrong with him.

Alec Pierce Advanced Stats & Metrics Profile

As the weeks have passed, Pierce’s stock has grown exponentially. To the point that it’s now common to see his name in the early second round of almost every mock. Bursting through the doors at the NFL Combine with a 4.41 (90th-percentile among qualified wide receivers) 40-yard-dash at 6-3 and 211-pounds will do that. He wasn’t done there, showing up throughout the combine with a 94th-percentile Burst Score and 95th-percentile Catch Radius. There was just one hiccup, and it is exactly what we saw in Mobile and on film. He is very TIGHT in the hips and knees. So getting in and out of breaks is not the smoothest of movements. That’s why the Trashman from RosterWatch compared Pierce and his 30th-percentile Agility Score to Allen Lazard.

No. 71 – Derion Kendrick, CB – Georgia

In Round 3, Derion Kendrick is a great value, a steal some would say. The problem is, he ran a 4.79u/4.84 40-yard-dash at the Georiga Pro Day last month. This is a dagger to his draft stock. And that is what makes him available here at pick No. 71.

Most zone coverage snaps played without allowing a TD last season

1️⃣ Derion Kendrick: 290
2️⃣ Kelee Ringo: 289@GeorgiaFootball 🔒 pic.twitter.com/r4LXBgvvg1

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 21, 2022

In early iterations of my mock drafts, Kendrick could be seen as high as the last pick of Round 1. But he has since fallen to here at pick No. 71. He played three seasons at Clemson, being part of the 2018 National Championship win and 2019 National Championship loss. And after a 2020 national semifinal loss to Ohio State, he was kicked off the team due to off-field issues. But he landed on his feet at Georgia, finding himself back in the National Championship as a lock-down cornerback. Someone is going to get a great player, a winner, and a dawg when they draft Derion Kendrick. And I think Chicago is the team to do it.