Best available players for Chicago Bears in NFL Draft (2024)

The Athletic has live coverage of NFL Draft Rounds 4-7. Follow along with our picks tracker, best available and The Beast.

The Chicago Bears have only one selection on Day 3 of the NFL Draft: No. 122.

It’s a pick that the Bears obtained last year in the first round of the draft from the Philadelphia Eagles, who traded up for defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Fittingly, the Bears have one glaring need left to fill in the draft — and that’s on their defensive line. General manager Ryan Poles acknowledged as much after Day 2 of the draft on Friday night.

The Bears discussed taking a defensive lineman out of need as the picks came in the third round. But they stayed put.

After the Atlanta Falcons took Washington pass rusher Bralen Trice at No. 74, the Bears’ decision crystallized. They selected offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie from Yale one pick later.

“He was the highest guy on the board,” Poles said.

But coach Matt Eberflus’ defense still needs some help, whether that’s at a three-technique tackle or defensive end. His pass rush needs to improve.

Poles said the Bears have “gold” graded players remaining on their board for Day 3. If enough of them remain at No. 122, the Bears could entertain trades back to get more than one.

“We’ll just play the numbers game,” Poles said. “We don’t want to do anything crazy. We have a nice setup for next year, too, so we don’t want to give away picks. But if it’s for a gold player, we can definitely get it.”

Using Dane Brugler’s top 300 rankings and his analysis from “The Beast,”here are 15 players for the Bears to consider on Day 3 of the draft on Saturday, including some offensive options.

Using Dane Brugler’s top 300 rankings and his analysis from “The Beast,” here are 15 prospects to watch on Friday.

NFL Draft 2024 tracker: Live blog, pick-by-pick grades and analysis
Big board best available: Who’s left from Dane Brugler’s Top 300?
Draft pick grades: Nick Baumgardner, Scott Dochterman rate Rounds 2-3
Full draft order: Team picks for all 257 selections
“The Athletic Football Show”: Watch live reaction to the draft

Defensive options

78. Austin Booker, DE, Kansas

Brugler: “Booker is lacking in body mass and overall experience (just 505 career college snaps), but he is an ascending player with the ability to maximize his athletic traits and body length/force with proper biomechanics. With his tools and instincts, he projects as a rotational player in Year 1 with the potential to become an impact starter.”

92. Brandon Dorlus, DT, Oregon

Brugler: “With his quick first step and long, strong arms, Dorlus can make his presence felt from various angles across the defensive line. He showed improved handwork in 2023 but is more of a ‘throw everything but the kitchen sink’ type of player and needs to continue improving his pad level and building a move-to-move plan to be more efficient once engaged.”

95. Mekhi Wingo, DT, LSU

Brugler: “A powerful, energetic athlete, Wingo is agile and flexible in tight spaces with the body control to shoot or loop gaps. While he can win quickly at the snap, he can also be washed by down blocks and smothered by bigger bodies.”

117. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn

Brugler: “Pritchett needs to improve his tackling and downfield judgment skills, but his length, speed and football character are traits NFL teams want to bring into the building. He projects as a rotational cornerback for an NFL secondary.”

127. Gabriel Murphy, DE, UCLA

Brugler: “A relentless pass rusher, Murphy stays on schedule with his upper and lower halves to explode around the edge or burst through gaps. Though he was a productive run defender in college with his ability to elude blocks, he will struggle locking out, pressing and escaping NFL base blockers.”

134. Gabe Hall, DT, Baylor

Brugler: “Hall boasts disruptive traits (explosiveness, power, length) that jump off the screen, but he is too much of a flash player and needs further development to better impact the game on a down-to-down basis. He projects as a rotational three- or five-technique with starting upside if he finds better consistency with NFL coaching.”

162. Nelson Ceasar III, DE, Houston

Brugler: “Ceaser attacks with upfield burst and speed and shows just enough bend to access different pass-rush lanes. Against the run, he has range and hustle, although his subpar anchor and physicality at the point of attack will be tougher to mask at the next level.”

180. Eric Watts, DE, UConn

Brugler: “Although he isn’t yet the sum of his parts, Watt has a pretty impressive collection of parts, with his frame, length, power, bend and burst to work his way through contact. He is stout at contact and won’t miss many tackles, but he needs to put himself in better position to make stops.”

204. Sione Vaki, S, Utah

Brugler: “Vaki flies around the field with the charged-up play personality and tackling toughness to pick off ball carriers, so long as he stays under control in pursuit. Though he has steady hands, his ball skills are inconsistent (there’s a key difference) and spacing breakdowns in coverage were consistent across his game tapes.”

Offensive options

109. Tanor Bortolini, C, Wisconsin

Brugler: “Bortolini had persistent hiccups on his 2023 tape, but the guard-to-center transition is rarely immediate, and he offers encouraging upside, thanks to his fluidity, intelligence and technical skill. He projects as an eventual NFL starter with position flexibility across the interior.”

113. Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, C, Georgia

Brugler: “Van Pran-Granger is a physical presence in the run game, latching with his hands and finishing with equal parts core strength and aggressive attitude. Though he processes well in pass pro, it won’t be easy for him to consistently recover and overcome his lack of elite movement skills and length vs. NFL talent.”

125. Mason McCormick, G, South Dakota State

Brugler: “McCormick doesn’t consistently play up to his testing numbers, but he has good eyes and feet in pass protection and outstanding physicality in the run game. He projects as a Day 1 backup (at all three interior line positions) who can become a starter with more coaching.”

138. Tanner McLachlan, TE, Arizona

Brugler: “McLachlan is a good-sized athlete who can shine at the catch point with his strong ball skills, although his development with routes and run blocking will determine his NFL ceiling. He projects as a reserve tight end with a chance to be a long-term contributor.”

159. Jha’Quan Jackson, WR, Tulane

Brugler: “Jackson is undersized and needs to stay off the injury report, but he offers both long speed and short-area quickness, along with the route instincts to create pockets of separation for his quarterback. He projects as an NFL slot with Day 1 value as a punt returner.”

182. AJ Barner, TE, Michigan

Brugler: “Overall, Barner is lighter than ideal to be an every-down Y tight end and doesn’t have the resume of a playmaking receiver, but he is a solid athlete with pass-catching upside and the play personality to handle run-blocking duties. He can provide depth on an NFL roster as a flex tight end.”

(Photo of Mekhi Wingo: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)