INDIANAPOLIS — As sure as Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza will be chosen first overall by the Raiders, Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate will be the highest Chicago native selected in the April draft. He started his high school career at Marist before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida.
“Growing up in Chicago was great,” Tate said Friday the NFL Scouting Combine. “It’s a tough city, so you had to learn how to fight. That’s all my life, what I’ve been doing, is fighting.”
Armed with intel from the Combine, here’s the Sun-Times’ Mock Draft 2.0 — featuring the Bears’ pick at No. 25:
1. Raiders — Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
At their Combine meeting, Mendoza was taught one play by head coach Klint Kubiak, complete with progressions and problem-solving tips — and then made Mendoza teach it back to him.
2. Jets — Texas Tech EDGE David Bailey
Agreeing to trade Jermaine Johnson to the Titans locks the Jets in at edge rusher here. Bailey helped his cause this week with a 4.5-second 40-yard dash and a 35-inch vertical leap.
3. Cardinals — Utah T Spencer Fano
The Cardinals could be the worst team in football next year, which would give them a crack at drafting a franchise quarterback in 2027.
4. Titans — Miami EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.
Adding Johnson doesn’t eliminate the need for another defensive end With Robert Saleh as head coach, the Jets once picked a first-round edge rusher in consecutive years.
5. Giants — Miami T Francis Mauigoa
Mauigoa will try to ensure that new coach John Harbaugh runs the ball as efficiently at his new job as he did with the Ravens.
6. Browns — Ohio State WR Carnell Tate
Tate said one benefit of joining the team would be the short drive back to Columbus to meet up with old friends and teammates.
7. Commanders — Ohio State EDGE Vell Reese
Reese had an eventful week, saying he was an edge rusher and not an inside linebacker — he played both at OSU — and announcing he’d go by Vell instead of Arvell.
8. Saints — Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson
The Saints’ second-leading wide receiver last year had 293 receiving yards. The Bears, by contrast, had four wideouts with more.
9. Chiefs — Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah could see the Chiefs trading down unless Love, “the second-best player in the draft,” is available.
10. Bengals — Ohio State S Caleb Downs
After posting one of the worst defensive seasons in NFL history, the Bengals get the draft’s surest thing.
11. Dolphins — Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy
The Dolphins hold five of the first 90 picks and still could look to trade down. McCoy fills one of many needs.
12. Cowboys — Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
Devoting a first-round pick to edge rusher after trading Micah Parsons to the Packers makes a kind of only-in-Dallas sense.
13. Rams (via Falcons) — USC WR Makai Lemon
He’d thrive in a receiver room alongside the great Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
14. Ravens — Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor
Mesidor’s motor and production makes him feel like a Raven. He turns 25 before Week 1, though.
15. Buccaneers — Ohio State LB Sonny Styles
Styles was a Combine star, jumping 43 ½ inches, the highest by an off-ball linebacker in 24 years and wowing other drills.
16. Jets (via Colts) — Alabama QB Ty Simpson
After the Justin Fields experiment faile,d the Jets take a chance on the draft’s second-best quarterback.
17. Lions — Missouri EDGE Zion Young
The Lions need a true edge threat opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Young started his college career at Michigan State.
18. Vikings — Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
If safety Harrison Smith retires, the Vikings would have to find a replacement in free agency or the draft.
19. Panthers — Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker
Parker had 11 sacks two years ago but only five of them last season.
20. Cowboys (via Packers) — LSU CB Mansoor Delane
He’s a potential top-10 pick and great value. The pick is one of the Cowboys they got for Parsons.
21. Steelers — Washington WR Denzel Boston
Aaron Rodgers will tell the Steelers his plans in the next two weeks. New coach Mike McCarthy needs firepower.
22. Chargers — Penn State G Olaivavega Ioane
Ioane didn’t allow a sack over his last two college seasons and. gave up just three pressures year. That fits a Jim Harbaugh team like a pair of crisp khakis.
23. Eagles — Utah T Caleb Lomu
Since the Eagles. took star Lane Johnson fourth overall in 2013, they’ve drafted an offensive lineman in Round 1 just once.
24. Browns (via Jaguars) — Alabama T Kadyn Proctor
Jeremiah believes the Browns should pick at least one tackle in Round 1 — if not two. Proctor is just 20 is stands a whopping 6-foot-7, 366 lbs.
25. Bears — Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald
Pass rush remains the Bears’ biggest need but coach Ben Johnson said he’d be open to drafting an interior defensive lineman in Round 1. McDonald turns 21 in mid-March and was the anchor of a dominant OSU line.
Young and Parker would make sense here — but they’ve been taken. Drafting McDonald is also an acknowledgement that Texas A&M’s Cashius Howell doesn’t fit Dennis Allen’s prototype for defensive end. Howell’s arms measure 30 ¼ inches long — per Pro Football Focus, the shortest of any NFL Scouting Combine edge rusher since 1999. He stands just 6-foot-2.
Howell acknowledged the criticism of his arms this week but said that “production has never been a real issue for me.”
McDonald, who is ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s top-ranked defensive tackle, was a run-stuffer in college but many
believe there’s a pass rush to unlock.
“On early downs, I can stop the run,” he said this week. “On third downs, I can push the pocket. I’m a complete player.”
26. Bills — Texas A&M EDGE Cashius Howell
There’s no doubting his production — only two college players have more sacks over the past three years than his 25.
27. 49ers — Clemson DT Peter Woods
Like Howell, Woods has short arms. The 49ers need to add defensive line depth.
28. Texans — Georgia OT Morgan Freeling
This one takes some projection — Freeling has just 16 starts to his name.
29. Rams — Clemson CB Avieon Terrell
Terrell stops his surprise fall and lands with the Rams.
30. Broncos — Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
We still like teaming Sadiq with Bo Nix, his college quarterback.
31. Patriots — Notre Dame WR Malachi Fields
The Patriots will prioritize finding Drake Maye better receiving options.
32. Seahawks — Oregon S Dillion Thieneman
He met with the champs at the Combine and came away impressed by their scheme.
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