New head coach Ben Johnson took over the Chicago Bears with a clear plan in mind. He wanted the protection for quarterback Caleb Williams to be bigger, stronger, and overall better to protect the former No. 1 overall pick.
Last month when free agency commenced, Johnson added three new interior offensive lineman in Jonah Jackson, Drew Dalman, and Joe Thuney. That’s one heck of an upgrade to go with promising young right tackle Darnell Wright.
With the 20th pick, the Bears could go in a number of directions. Nothing screams “DIRE” following their free-agent haul which means they could feasibly go with the best player available.
But, if you’re Windy City Gridiron’s Lester Wiltfong, then you believe the Bears could go even further with their offensive line overhaul.
Without further ado, with the 20th pick in the SB Nation Community Mock Draft, Wiltfong is selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons.
20.) Chicago Bears: Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State
Wiltfong: Simmons would have pushed for OT1 in this class if it weren’t for the knee injury. According to various reports, he’s ahead of schedule and may be ready by training camp. Even if he doesn’t win a starting job as a rookie, Ben Johnson will find a way to get him on the field.
Analysis: Even after the Bears added three new offensive lineman during this year’s free agency period, they continue to rebuild the offensive line for Caleb Williams by nabbing Simmons, who only fell this far due to an injury that took most of his 2024 season. Otherwise, we may be talking about him as the top tackle in this draft class.
Simmons made the move from San Diego State to Ohio State and pretty much hit the ground running. He’s a very athletic, easy-moving block with fluid footwork to mirror rushers and get to his landmarks. In the run game, he provides a strong pop on double-team blocks which help uproot defenders before he glides to the second level and envelops another defender. He’s a fun watch on film because it’s so evident just how good he is and likely will be at the next level.
I love this pick for the Bears who are going all in on Caleb Williams in Year 2.
Top five remaining players:
- Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
- James Pearce Jr., EDGE, Tennessee
- Luther Burden, WR, Missouri
- Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State
Still some excellent defenders on the board, including our second-ranked cornerback in Barron. If a team needs an edge rusher, they can’t go wrong with either Pearce or Ezeiruaku. The Steelers are up next and we know how much that franchise appreciates a good defense. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest to see one of these guys I just named go with the next pick!
