To this point, much of the talk about the Chicago Bears and what they’ll do in the 2023 NFL Draft has included the likely possibility of a big first-round trade.
However, there might be an increasingly-likely scenario where Ryan Poles stays put with the ninth overall pick.
After all, the Bears have 10 picks in the draft as it stands. Getting a sure fire stud at no. 9 overall means something, and for one of the only times in the past couple of months, we keep the Bears right where they’re at in the first round.
In one of our last 2023 mock drafts, the Chicago Bears come away with a well-rounded haul of talent
At number nine, the Bears go with Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who you could argue is the best overall, pure tackle in the draft. Johnson is a natural right tackle, and will step right into that starting position, rounding out the Bears’ starting offensive line.
Johnson stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 313 pounds, plus has the flexibility to move well laterally. He packs a heavy punch with those large hands and doesn’t let go easily. Johnson is quick enough to be able to get out and pull, too, which will come in handy for a Bears offense that runs a lot.
This is a popular pick amongst Bears fans, and some outlets have him higher, while some have him lower. For Chicago, this seems to be the perfect spot for Johnson to go.
With their first pick in the second round, coming at no. 53, the Bears go offensive line yet again, proving they’re serious about giving Justin Fields everything he needs to succeed. In the above section on Johnson, I mentioned the Bears round out their starting offensive line. However, Tippmann will come in and take one of the starting spots between either Cody Whitehair or Lucas Patrick, depending on who will play guard versus center.
Tippmann, like Johnson, is a large man at 6-foot-6. Again, like Johnson, Tippmann is a powerful player. He packs a heavy punch. But here’s the kicker: Tippmann moves better than any other 6-foot-6 offensive lineman you’ve seen before.
He is ultra-athletic and can get to the second level in a hurry, but also move side to side in a way that shouldn’t be possible for a man his size. From here on out, Fields is protected much, much better going forward.
With their second pick in the second round, the Bears go after the trenches yet again. Only this time, it’s on the defensive side of the ball. Chicago desperately needs more help at edge rusher, and they go with a blue-collared, hard-working, old school type of rusher in Wisconsin’s Nick Herbig.
I say all of that about him because it matters. Herbig is undersized at just 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. But, this guy is as relentless as they come. He’s your typical Badger pass rusher, somewhat reminiscent of the Watt brothers’ style. He gets himself into the backfield on a regular basis, no matter what the cost.
How is this for convincing? Over 26 percent of his career tackles went for lost yardage. He is an animal, and a true Matt Eberflus type.
In the third round, with the 64th overall selection, the Bears yet again go defense. Here, they address cornerback in a big way, grabbing DJ Turner out of Michigan. This pick will relegate Kindle Vildor to the bench, with Turner completing the Bears’ young, exciting secondary full of playmakers.
Jaylon Johnson will man the outside with Turner, while Kyler Gordon is in the slot. Turner brings rare speed and athleticism, as he ran a steaming 4.26 40-yard dash at the Combine. He is a twitchy athlete with the ability to keep up with any receiver out there.
He’s a little short-armed and doesn’t have the strength needed to battle the bigger, stronger receivers. But, as an outside corner, Turner is a huge upgrade for the Bears and will be a fine starter.
Round four is where the Bears go back to offense, and Fields’ smile only gets bigger. The team already has DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool at wide receiver. But, next year, Claypool and Mooney will both be free agents. For that reason, the Bears can’t totally ignore the wide receiver position.
Marvin Mims is the pick in the fourth round, and he brings big play ability from the get-go. The Oklahoma product is a huge play waiting to happen, as evidenced by 20.1 yards per catch last year and 22.0 yards per catch in 2021. Fields loves to throw the deep ball and go for those home run plays, and he and Mims will likely hook up for a few of those right away.
Later in the fourth, the Bears address running back, which at first glance might not be a big area of need. However, they only signed D’Onta Foreman to a 1-year deal. Khalil Herbert is in Year 3 already, When it comes to running back, it’s all about getting ahead of the game. Chicago gets a possible future starter in Tank Bigsby, who will at least be able to provide a few touches here and there as a rookie.
The six-foot, 210-pound Bigsby is your prototypical running back that can handle every down type work. He’s going to break tackles well, run between the tackles and stay upright until he’s absolutely, positively unable to stand up and power through tackles. Bigsby would be more of your David Montgomery (Foreman) replacement, but in case of injury this year, he’s major insurance.
Maybe the only gripe, so far, with this draft is the fact that the Bears waited so long to address the interior defensive line. But, with Wake Forest’s Kobie Turner, the Bears finally do so. One of the biggest reasons Turner will drop this far is due to his lack of size, as he stands just six feet tall and weighs 288 pounds.
But, for his frame, he is extremely dense and strong. Pound for pound, Turner is a powerful player. He just might lack the size needed to make the bigger plays. As a rotational interior defender, Turner will be a fine player. But, the Bears won’t be able to count on him as a starter, unless he puts on a bit more functional weight.
For the second time in the draft, the Bears take an interior lineman. The great part about drafting a starting center out of college is the fact that they can typically translate well to guard, too. With Penn State’s Juice Scruggs, the Bears get exactly that. Scruggs possesses versatility as he can play either guard or center.
Scruggs is going to drop to the middle of the draft, likely, because he is more of a brick wall than anything. He doesn’t move as well as some other interior lineman, but he’s a strong player. He does well holding his own against strong pass rushers and in short-term run blocking, but the athleticism isn’t there for Scruggs to get out and move extensively.
Finally, in the seventh round, the Bears focus on the defensive line. First, with pick 218, Chicago goes with Boise State’s Scott Matlock. The 6-foot-4 Matlock weighs 308 pounds and could easily pack on some more weight if he wanted to (and he should).
Matlock is more of a one-trick pony in that he knows how to go forward. He doesn’t move well laterally, but can bull rush well and blow up a run play straight ahead of him. If he added some more weight, he’d do a much better job being able to plug running lanes.
With their last pick in the draft, the Bears go with another edge rusher, once more out of the Big Ten like Herbig. Maryland’s Durell Nchami comes to Chicago as a kid who needs an opportunity to prove himself. Injuries have plagued him in the past, but he still has a ceiling as a rotational pass rusher.
He’s a bit undersized and might serve better as a 3-4 outside linebacker, standing 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds. But, Nchami has long arms and a great first punch. He definitely has a few traits to build upon, with speed being one of them. If he continues to add to his frame, Nchami might have a future as, at least, someone who can take the pressure off starting defensive ends a few times a game.