Mock draft: Predicting the Bears’ pick — and the rest of the top 10

The Bears don’t need Caleb Williams to help them pick out their first-round draft pick.

“We have guys getting paid for that,” he said this week.

The second-year quarterback, though, thinks his team is in a good position after a series of offseason trades and free-agent signings. The Bears have needs — but not one glaring one.

With the No. 10 overall pick on April 24, the Bears could justify picking a prospect who plays offensive or defensive line, tight end, running back or even cornerback.

“I think there’s a sense of it of, like, we’ll be trying to go for the best player we can get — and you always want to be in that position,” Williams said. “That’s something I kind of learned hearing from the vets, being around this past year — When you’re in the draft, you want to be in position to get the best players. I think right now, we’re in position to be able to get the best guy for the team.”

That’s what makes the Bears’ possibilities so intriguing. Presenting the Sun-Times’ top-10 mock draft:

1. Titans — Miami QB Cam Ward

Ward will become one of the most unlikely No. 1 overall picks in NFL history, the result of a standout season at Miami after two years at Div. I-AA Incarnate Word and two more at Washington State. Ward is at the top of a ho-hum quarterback class — he would have been the fourth one drafted in 2024, at best — but the Titans can’t afford to pass on a chance to find a quarterback around whom to build.

2. Browns — Colorado CB/WR Travis Hunter

The two-way star and reigning Heisman Trophy winner is the best player in the draft. While many around the league consider him a more promising cornerback than wide receiver, the Browns have more of a need at the latter. They can’t afford to pigeonhole him at either spot, though.

3. Giants — Penn State EDGE Abdul Carter

The Giants drafted another Penn State star, Saquon Barkley, No. 2 overall in 2018, and have since picked Nittany Lions in 2020 and 2024. The Giants already have plenty of pass rushers, but Carter is eerily reminiscent of another former Penn State edge rusher who wore No. 11 in college — Micah Parsons, who became a Cowboys star.

4. Patriots — LSU T Will Campbell

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Campbell’s arms measured a relatively short 32 5/8 inches. The Bears and the rest of the league will have to ask themselves whether they’re willing to draft someone in the top 10 whose arms resemble a guard more than a left tackle. Two years ago, the Bears passed on Northwestern tackle Peter Skoronski, who fit a similar profile. The team that took him one pick later? The Titans and Mike Vrabel, who’s now the Patriots’ coach.

5. Saints (via Jaguars) — Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders

The Saints trade the No. 9 pick and their second-rounder to take a chance on Sanders, the only quarterback left with any chance of being a long-term starter. It’s an overpay, but it gives the Saints a shot to get out of purgatory — eventually. New coach Kellen Moore will allow Derek Carr to start before parting with the veteran — and his $69.2 million 2026 cap hit — after the season. The Bears, who are hoping that two quarterbacks get picked before the No. 10 spot, rejoice.

6. Raiders — Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty

The six running backs on the Raiders’ roster combined to run for 656 yards last year. That won’t work for new coach Pete Carroll, who infamously used the run game as the metronome of the Seahawks’ offense, or new coordinator Chip Kelly, one of his generation’s great run-game innovators. Jeanty would look great in a Bears uniform, but, with standout running backs available in Round 2, general manager Ryan Poles can’t justify moving up in Round 1.

7. Jets — Missouri T Armand Membou

The Jets have reliable starters on the offensive line except for one spot — right tackle. Membou only played right tackle at Missouri, where his arm length and athleticism helped him rocket up draft boards. With 2024 No. 11 pick Olu Fashanu at left tackle and Membou on the right side, Justin Fields will have better protection than he ever got while wearing a wishbone “C” on his helmet.

8. Panthers — Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

A franchise that hasn’t had a Pro Bowl receiver since Steve Smith in 2011 can use a stud like McMillan, who in three college seasons totaled a whopping 3,423 receiving yards and 26 touchdowns. Bryce Young went from a bust to a promising quarterback in Year 2, but he won’t make the leap without better offensive weapons. Only five teams are spending less in cap space on receivers this year than the Panthers.

9. Jaguars (via Saints) — Michigan DT Mason Graham

Another player that figures to be high on the Bears’ wish list, Graham is the best interior defensive lineman in the draft. He was first-team All-Big Ten the last two years and was named a first-team AP All-American in 2024. His 3 ½ sacks and seven tackles for loss don’t do justice to his production — or knack for disruption between the tackles. In possession of the Saints’ second-round pick, the Jaguars boast two picks in Rounds 2, 3 and 4.

10. Bears — Penn State TE Tyler Warren

Yes, the Bears need help at left tackle — it’d be surprising if their plan is really to let Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie fight it out, particularly because the former might not be fully recovered from ankle surgery until training camp. The fact remains, though, that the Bears think there are fewer than 10 top-tier players in the draft. If one makes it to No. 10, the Bears have to take him. If they draft Warren, they could worry about drafting an offensive lineman and running back with one of their two Round 2 picks.

Part of what drew the Bears to coach Ben Johnson was the creativity he showed in creating not only a playbook but also clever personnel usage. The fact that the Bears already have Cole Kmet as an in-line tight end will only encourage Johnson to move Warren around the field, and that’s a good thing. Warren played all over in Happy Valley, even taking 40 snaps as a Wildcat quarterback.

With the Lions last year, Johnson used two or more tight ends on the field 35% of the time, the third-most in the NFL. Having two capable tight ends isn’t a bug, it’s a feature.