Some guys just seem to have a greater knack for predicting a draft than others. Mock drafts on average don’t usually see a lot of accuracy. However, there are exceptions. A good example is Steve Serby of the New York Post. His mock draft from 2020 is truly impressive. Not only did he get 11 player-to-team picks dead on, but he also successfully predicted an additional 11 position-to-team picks. That led to an interesting question. What does he envision for the Chicago Bears a couple of weeks from now?
His latest mock draft paints a pretty clear picture. He expects four quarterbacks to go in the top four picks with the fifth landing in Denver at #9. After that, there will be a run defensive players (CBs and EDGEs) along with offensive linemen. So where will that leave the Bears? With an interesting decision between two key skill positions. In the end, he has them going offense.
20. Chicago Bears: Kadarius Toney (WR, Florida)
Andy Dalton could use an explosive slot receiver to take the heat off Allen Robinson.
It’s worth noting Serby correctly predicted the 20th pick in 2020 too.
He nailed the Jacksonville Jaguars taking LSU pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson at that spot. So him saying Toney could be the Bears’ guy is interesting. Especially given more context. Remember that Anthony Miller, their primary slot option for the past three seasons, is on the trade block. Expectations are he’ll be dealt at some point. It is difficult to see him in a Bears uniform in 2021, one way or another.
Inserting somebody like Toney into that spot isn’t a hard sell. If anything he might be more talented than Miller. He’s a crisp route runner with legitimate deep speed and returner ability on top of that. Exactly the sort of big-play weapon the Bears need more of. Even if he doesn’t end up being the exact pick, Serby seems to think wide receiver will end up being the position they target.
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Chicago Bears did pass on some interesting players though
Two stand out in particular. Cornerbacks Greg Newsome and Caleb Farley. Both have higher grades than Toney according to NFL.com and are at a position of need as well. Kyle Fuller is gone. Jaylon Johnson has health concerns surrounding him despite his standout rookie season. Wouldn’t it make sense for them to fill that void opposite him? It would, yes. Except the Bears have invested relentlessly in the defense for years. They had star power everywhere. Yet all they had to show for it from 2017 to 2020 was one winning season.
It seems a philosophical shift might be underway. They signed Andy Dalton as their starting quarterback. Then they made hard runs at Trent Williams and Kenny Golladay. Surefire signs they are starting to think about investing more seriously on offense. If Dalton is their guy this season, and all signs point to that being the case, then getting him another weapon makes a ton of sense.
Will it be Toney? That depends on how the board falls.
The Chicago Bears can’t control the impulses of other GMs around the league. Unexpected things happen all the time. One of the top three receivers could unexpectedly fall. Or perhaps Pace and head coach Matt Nagy have eyes for another receiver. Rashod Bateman of Minnesota and Elijah Moore of Ole Miss are two possibilities. Either way, such a move might inject a little more optimism into the hopes for this offense.