The Chicago Bears surprise fans with this 2022 NFL mock draft

Thursday night, when Round 1 is underway, most Bears fans would not expect to see Ryan Poles enter the conversation. But, that’s exactly what the Bears do, here.

Chicago decides to move up by trading with the Buffalo Bills, sending them pick number 39, pick number 150 and a second rounder in 2023. In exchange, Chicago moves up to number 25 and also obtains pick number 130 this year.

Now, while some would expect this trade to be for a big play wide receiver, we have to go look at what the recent rumors and reports say about Poles’ draft strategy. There have been rumblings that the Bears are going to draft linemen before any other position, so by that logic, moving up to grab maybe the best interior lineman of the draft makes sense.

Iowa’s Tyler Linderbaum is the highest-graded center prospect in the history of Pro Football Focus’ collegiate grading. The 6-foot-2 Linderbaum is a former wrestler and basketball player, so his athleticism is off the charts.

Linderbaum was the best center in college football in both 2020 and 2021 and has demonstrated an uncanny strength despite being undersized. He is a mailer in the ground game and plays with a mean streak.

Coming in as either a center or guard, next to Lucas Patrick and Cody Whitehair, Linderbaum presents versatility on the interior. The Bears’ interior line would be completely set, and Linderbaum would immediately help elevate the line as a whole.