Chicago Bears Mock Draft: Justin Fields gets Tee Higgins, other weapons

The Bears very well could ride into 2023 with Jack Sunburn as their starting middle linebacker, and why not? He had as good of a rookie season as any undrafted free agent could. But, the Bears have to find some good, young depth there as well. Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace Jr. is the man for the job and would step right into a solid backup role, with the potential to maybe even start on the outside due to his speed.

Like many guys in this mock, Pace plays the game fast. He plays hard. His style is, again, one that Matt Eberflus would love to have on his team. Last season as an inside backer, Pace tallied 10 sacks, proving he can rush the quarterback. That’s something the Bears need at all positions.

This is where the Bears find their David Montgomery replacement, assuming they let him go in free agency. It will be sad to see, but running backs don’t often get paid and it would make financial sense.

Kenny McIntosh could step right into a timeshare with Khalil Herbert and be the early down back Montgomery was for the Bears. Coming from a successful program like Georgia and playing against top-tier defensive talent every week, McIntosh is a seasoned running back.

Don’t sleep on McIntosh’s ability to catch the football, either. He caught 43 passes for the Bulldogs last season while also rushing for over 800 yards. This is a versatile football player that the Bears could use in a variety of ways, but he’d mostly function as that early down type.