Chicago Bears have hosted two top-10 defensive prospects

Even though the Chicago Bears traded down from the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they will still be set to select a potentially franchise-changing player at no. 9.

This week, the Bears have gone deeper with their extensive homework on some of the top 10 prospects in this year’s class.

First, they hosted Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter on Monday. From there, it was Tyree Wilson who got his time with the Bears on Wednesday.

Both Carter and Wilson are likely to go within the top 10 picks, if not top seven or eight. But, the Bears are doing their due diligence on these guys in case they were to get lucky enough to bring either to Chicago.

Both Jalen Carter and Tyree Wilson are excellent fits with the Chicago Bears

At the moment, the Bears have a need both within the interior of the defensive front and at edge rusher. That’s why either one of these guys would be phenomenal picks.

Carter is the more polarizing player, here, obviously. His off-field incident has been the least-kept secret amongst this year’s draft class, and some outlets believe he will drop significantly after, at one point, being a consensus top-5 player in the draft.

Some view Carter as a generational talent on the interior. For a guy his size, he shouldn’t be able to do the things he can do, and at the speed he can do them. He’s big, strong, quick and fast, and to find a combination of those things for an interior lineman is extremely rare. He can get into the back field and blow up a play in a hurry.

If Carter is there at no. 9, it’s a no-brainer. He’s the easy pick, no question. But, will he make it back that far, just as some are predicting? It’s doubtful. When the chips finally fall, I believe Carter is going within the top seven picks. There’s no way he gets past Seattle or Detroit.

Wilson, meanwhile, is viewed as the second-best pass rusher in the class next to Alabama’s Will Anderson.

Wilson is 6-foot-6 and 271 pounds, plus boasts an enormous wingspan. His combination of size and length, plus his athleticism, make him a clear-cut pick at no. 9 if he’s there. This is a player who immediately becomes the best lineman on the team, and it wouldn’t be close.

Over the past two seasons, Wilson has posted 27.5 tackles for loss, including 14.0 sacks, with Texas Tech. Like Carter, he is a game-wrecking player that can get into the back field quickly, blowing up both run plays and getting to the quarterback.