The moves have slowed down a bit for the Chicago Bears, similar to the majority of teams right now as the league prepares for the 2023 NFL Draft in just a couple of weeks.
General manager Ryan Poles has a myriad of options ahead of him in this year’s draft, as the Bears currently hold the no. 9 pick after moving down from no. 1 a month ago. Still, many believe Poles and the Bears are far from done moving around.
Some even believe Chicago could move up, but the situation would have to be perfect, and value tremendous.
The best-case scenario for the Bears is that a quarterback is on the board at no. 9 overall. If that comes to fruition, then Poles is in business. In this most recent mock draft, Poles and the Bears make a pair of moves to solidify positions of need.
Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears move back with the Washington Commanders in this 2023 NFL mock draft
The Washington Commanders need a quarterback, and no, Sam Howell and Jacoby Brissett do not appear as the obvious answer to the situation at hand. Because of that, Ron Rivera’s squad trades up for their man, who just might end up being one of Will Levis or Anthony Richardson.
Chicago moves back to pick no. 16 while netting a second rounder and a fifth rounder this year, and also sends the Commanders a sixth rounder next year.
One of the more recent draft risers has been offensive tackle Darnell Wright out of Tennessee, and the Bears take him here at 16. A true right tackle, Wright has the perfect size at 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds. He’s an absolute mauler for a tackle, and loves to bulldoze his way through run blocks. This is necessary for a team like Chicago, one that will run it down teams’ throats.
Wright’s best quality is, by far, his strength and size. He’s able to hold off opposing power rushers with ease. Athletically, he’s not as stout as some of the other tackles in this draft. But, protecting Fields’ right side is going to require less athleticism than his blind side, so Wright won’t be a detriment by any means.
He comes in and immediately solidifies the offensive line, giving the Bears five should-be starters, and allowing the team to move along and draft best player available at every other area of the draft.
With their second pick of the draft coming in at no. 47 overall, the Bears stay in the trenches and address another huge need. Chicago goes with Kansas State edge rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah, who enters the draft as a clear Day 2 prospect, likely to go very high, which he does here.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 255 pounds, Anudike-Uzomah gives the Bears a true defensive end to throw into the mix with Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson and this year’s free agent acquisition, DeMarcus Walker.
Anudike-Uzomah is a strong, powerful rusher who is going to continue to fill out his frame and get even better. Over the past two seasons, Anudike-Uzomah has totaled 19.5 sacks.
The Bears could also use another starter at cornerback, assuming the team allows Kyler Gordon to stay inside and pair someone else with Jaylon Johnson on the outside rather than giving Kindle Vildor the green light. Maybe, Vildor competes here with Tyrique Stevenson, but I believe the rookie will eventually win the job this summer.
The University of Miami product comes into the draft as one of the more physical defensive backs in his class. At six feet, 198 pounds, Stevenson packs a strong build all around. He has been compared to that of veteran James Bradberry, who is known as one of the more physical and scrappy corners in the NFL over the past few seasons.
If Stevenson pans out, the Bears’ secondary is young, physical and athletic. It could end up being the strength of this defense, overall.
To kick off the second round, the Bears execute a trade back up into the second round, giving them four total picks in that segment. They move up eight spots, taking the Jaguars’ spot at no. 56.
With that pick acquired from Jacksonville, the Bears take their center of the future in Wisconsin’s Joe Tippmann. Frankly, Tippmann could wind up being the starting center this year. Chicago could still cut Cody Whitehair and save $6 million in the process.
Tippmann stands a towering 6-foot-6 and weighs 313 pounds, which is enormous for a center. However, he carries his size well and is quite athletic, actually. Tippmann is one of the more well-rounded interior lineman in the draft thanks to big-time strength and impressive athleticism. He does a lot of things at a high level, but he’s intelligent, too, making him the ideal pro-ready center prospect.
With their fourth pick in the second round, the Bears go wide receiver. Sure, it’s a year too late for Poles to make a move like this. But, this year, Poles is attempting to give Justin Fields no reason to fail. He’s going to give him every reason to succeed, and no room for excuses.
Tank Dell is an undersized wideout at 5-foot-8, 165 pounds. But, he’s a playmaking machine. This guy wins on every single step of the route and is one of the most elite separators in his class. The Bears have D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool as their top three guys, but adding an electrifying talent like Dell will only equip this offense more going into the future.
The Bears hold no picks in the third round, thanks to their moves, but now in the fourth round they go back to defense as Poles selects Wake Forest defensive lineman Kobie Turner. Standing just over 6-foot-2, weighing 288 pounds, Turner is a little smaller than most interior linemen. However, he makes up for that with his strength, motor and ability to do the little things.
Turner rarely gives up on a play, and he also finds a way to suck up space despite being undersized. He’s got a nice arsenal of pass rush moves while also being a staple against the run. He might not be a starting-caliber lineman, but there are definitely situations where it will pay to have him on the field.
Chicago’s linebacker core is a whole lot different than it was a year ago, and that’s a positive. The only likely returning starter from the tail end of the 2022 season is last year’s undrafted free agent, Jack Sanborn. From there, it’s new faces in T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds who will start next to Sanborn.
But, the best player on the board at this point in the draft is indeed at linebacker, so Poles snatches up Cincinnati stud Ivan Pace Jr. The last two picks have one thing in common, funny enough, as they’re both undersized.
Pace is only 5-foot-10, but he is solid muscle. He’s athletic, quick and extremely strong. Pace is a true Matt Eberflus type of player, whereas he never quits on a play. He’ll give you ever single ounce he’s got on every play. If anything, he has the makings of being a special teams ace.
Back to giving Justin Fields zero excuses, here, in the fifth round, as the Bears draft East Carolina running back Keaton Mitchell. After losing David Montgomery, the Bears signed both D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer, giving them three solid backs including Khalil Herbert. While Homer will likely take on some special teams work, the Bears could certainly use more electricity on offense.
That’s why Mitchell is the pick here. As one of the most electrifying guys in the draft, Mitchell can take it to the house at any given moment. He stands 5-foot-8 and, if you blink, you might miss him. Running a 4.37 at the Combine, Mitchell’s 40-time was definitely one that turned heads.
Because of his speed and slippery nature with the ball in his hands, Mitchell ripped off big runs left and right last year, totaling 54 runs for 10 or more yards in 2022.
With their second pick in the fifth round, the Bears once again go best player available, and this time it’s Iowa State safety Anthony Johnson Jr.
Johnson is a big, strong safety, standing six feet tall and just over 200 pounds. He’s a team captain and plays with a thumper’s mentality. Standing closer to the line of scrimmage will serve him well, as dropping back into coverage isn’t his strength. However, ask him to help in run support, and Johnson is your guy. He’s a tough player with plenty of special teams upside and could turn into a solid backup.
Finally, Poles enters the seventh round and goes right back to the trenches. On the offensive side, with his first pick in the final round, he drafts Clemson tackle Jordan McFadden. Coming from a historically-winning program like Clemson and surrounded by plenty of NFL talent, McFadden enters the league as an undersized tackle who could be moved inside, but still possesses a broad, strong frame.
If McFadden entered the draft as a guard, he would likely be taken sooner. He’s strong, good in pass protection (assuming he’s inside) and doesn’t get moved off his base very easily. If anything, he’s a candidate to back up one of the team’s starting guards.
With their last pick in the draft, the Bears go to the opposite side of the line, drafting Toledo defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson. Earning First-Team All MAC last year, Johnson totaled 60 tackles, 16.5 for a loss and 5.5 sacks operating mostly as a defensive end.
Johnson stands 6-foot-2, weighing 267 pounds, so he’s a bit small for the position. But, he’ll come in and compete, giving the Bears a potential fifth defensive end heading into the season.