This Chicago Bears 2023 mock draft makes sense after trade deadline

One myth that fans cannot get their thoughts caught up in is that the Bears do not need to draft a wide receiver with higher draft capital after landing Chase Claypool. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

This is what Poles has been laying the groundwork for. In the end, Justin Fields should be lining up with as many weapons for the 2023 season as possible — and that is why they add Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba here in the first round at pick number 12.

Because Ohio State’s wide receiving corps has been so good all year long, and with the emergence of Marvin Harrison Jr., it’s possible that Smith-Njigba could fall a little bit — he did in this mock draft, courtesy of Pro Football Network.

This is the type of guy who can be your true alpha at wide receiver. With a six-foot frame, Smith-Njigba has all the tools to be the best offensive player on the field. He has excellent hands and focus at the catch point, allowing him to make many of the toughest catches a possibility on a regular basis.

There’s not much to critique about his game. He set the Rose Bowl record with 347 receiving yards on 15 catches in 2021, en route to being named the MVP of the game. The eye-popping numbers are just a glimpse of this kid’s potential, and with Fields at the helm, this offense might just be one of the most surprising and explosive units in football if they can land Smith-Njigba.