The Chicago Bears have some major holes that they will need filled in the 2021 NFL Draft.
They have had a very poor season that has exposed many weaknesses they have on the field.
While their 5-6 record doesn’t appear to be bad, a five-game losing streak punctuates the team’s struggles.
From 5-1 to 5-6.
The Chicago Bears have lost 18 of their last 21 games against the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears didn't win a game in the month of November.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) November 30, 2020
On top of that, none of their wins early in the season were by more than five points.
This has come to the disappointment of Bears fans, as the organization is once again struggling to put a playoff caliber team on the field.
These struggles are personified by the team’s quarterback situation.
While they set out in the offseason with a QB battle between Mitchell Trubisky and Nick Foles, neither have been good.
With the NFL Draft looming, and teams beginning their scouting process, the Bears will have to begin patching up their team.
For the franchise, the 2021 NFL Draft could be a big deal.
Here are three areas the team will likely need to focus on to make it a successful draft.
1. Quarterback
If Trubisky continues his poor play through the rest of the season, the team may search for their QB of the future in the draft.
This would most likely come with their first-round selection.
Luckily for the Bears, the top level of this QB class is starting to take shape and is looking talented.
Currently, the team has the 16th pick in the draft.
While the top talents of Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields will be off the board, a couple of other first round projections could fall into the Bears’ lap.
This would likely either be Zach Wilson or Trey Lance, two mid-major QBs who have carried their teams.
Wilson has a big-time arm and the pure skill to back it up; he is now the highest-graded passer in the country.
Lance is a physical presence that has drawn comparisons to Cam Newton.
Trey Lance scores on 61 yd run 50-10 Bison pic.twitter.com/MjaoXJSZ8t
— VNL Sports (@vnlsports) August 31, 2019
He is a strong and imposing runner whose biggest knock is his passing accuracy.
If he is able to dial that in, he could become an extreme threat at the NFL level.
Look for the Bears to scoop up one of these QBs in the first round, assuming they are still available.
2. Offensive Line
The offensive line may arguably be the worst part of the Bears team this season.
They rank 22nd in sacks allowed per game and last in rushing yards per game.
Their line just hasn’t been able to move opposing defenses and provide any protection for their offensive players.
For the draft, they will likely pick up more than one offensive lineman.
In his Mock Draft 1.0, @dpbrugler sent an offensive tackle to the Bears at No. 14.@adamjahns and I discuss https://t.co/ylC5mGYRSb
— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) December 1, 2020
Mock drafts have them looking at Rashawn Slater from Ohio State in the second round who is flexible in different positions on the line.
They also have them picking up Deonte Brown from Alabama in the third round.
While these are early predictions of where they’ll go in these rounds, it would not be surprising for them to pick up as many talented offensive linemen as they can.
3. Wide Receiver
The Bears’ receiving core has been led by standout Allen Robinson.
However, Robinson is set to become a free agent this offseason.
3. Allen Robinson
4. Kenny Golladay
9. Will FullerRanking the NFL's top 50 free agentshttps://t.co/mCxpz6zEVY
— PFF NY Giants (@PFF_Giants) December 2, 2020
If he elects to walk, the team will be forced to replace the lost talent in the draft.
Because of the other pressing needs they have to address, this would likely be a pick in the later rounds.
If they do select a QB early, they will likely want to bring in young receivers to build around and work with their new QB.
The Bears will have a lot of work to do this offseason if they hope to build back to a competitive level.
The 2021 NFL Draft will be a big part of that.
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