Chicago Bears rookie head coach Ben Johnson loves himself some scoring.
Last season, his final campaign as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, the 38-year-old offensive wiz led the Lions to 4,718 passing yards (second in the league), 2,488 rushing yards (sixth), 39 touchdowns (third), 409.5 yards per game (second), and 564 points (tops).
Ben Johnson Theatre (part 1) | 2024 Detroit Lions Highlights | Johnny Gaz Sports #detroitlions #NFL #football pic.twitter.com/3bH05OHG2F
— John Gazdecki (@johnnygazsports) December 10, 2024
So yeah. Dude likes track meets.
The current Bears roster isn’t track meet material, so come NFL Draft weekend, the rookie sideline general could well insist that Chicago GM Ryan Poles go all offense, all the time.
Poles, a former offensive lineman, might not actually need much in the way of convincing.
To that end, here’s an all-Bears, all-offense-all-the-time seven-round mock draft that, if it comes to some semblance of fruition, would make Ben Johnson a happy, happy boy.
Round One (10)
NFL Player Comp: Rob Gronkowski
Scout’s Take: “Warren plays with swagger and ‘best player on the field’ energy. He imprints on games with alignment versatility, allowing opportunities for play-callers to stress the defense.” (NFL.com)
Round Two (39)
NFL Player Comp: David Montgomery
Scout’s Take: “Henderson is well-built and offers a low center of gravity and explosive burst. He projects well to gap schemes, thanks to that burst to explode through holes and break pursuit angles on the second level.” (The 33rd Team)
Round Two (41 via CAR)
NFL Player Comp: Christian Kirk
Scout’s Take: “He can be an explosive threat but also does enough in-between stuff to contribute to winning football. He’s an ideal type of secondary receiver.” (Yahoo Sports)
Round Three (72)
NFL Player Comp: Cam Robinson
Scout’s Take: “Belton wins as a run blocker using his big body, long arms and heavy hands to cover up targets on angle-drive blocks with the power to displace and create rush lanes.” (Bleacher Report)
The Scoop: What with the Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman acquisitions, Poles and Johnson have the luxury of waiting to address the trenches until day two. At 6’6” and 336 pounds, Belton is a muscular behemoth who moves well for his thickness. If he improves his footwork, he could be a rotation player during his rookie season.
Round Five (148)
NFL Player Comp: Jalyn Holmes
Scout’s Take: “Jones moves violently and aggressively chops down or rips through the arms of blockers, but he can improve his effectiveness in disengaging with faster hands.” (Draft Network)
The Scoop: As is the case with Belton, since Poles inked free agent DE Dayo Odeyingbo, he’s able to grab his EDGE on day three. Jones put together a solid senior year, with 19 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks, impressive numbers for a meh Tigers D.
Round Seven (233 via CIN)
NFL Player Comp: Grant Stuard
Scout’s Take: “Sideline-to-sideline motor. Routinely cleans up plays all over the field.” (NFL Draft Buzz)
Round Seven (240 via MIN)
NFL Player Comp: Taysom Hill
Scout’s Take: “Leonard possesses exceptional athleticism and will immediately become one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL.” (PFF)
The Scoop: It’s been said that teams should draft a quarterback each and every year, something the Bears most definitely haven’t done. During his one season in South Bend, Leonard led the Irish to a 14-2 record, tossing 21 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and compiling a scary 139.6 QBR. He could marinate on the practice squad and might eventually evolve into a quality QB2.
