NFL Draft Grades - Chicago Bears
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Chicago Bears Upcoming 2023 Draft Picks (10)
Grade: A
Charlie Campbell reported that the Eagles would trade up into the 6-9 range for Jalen Carter if he got past Seattle. Once the Seahawks made their strange Devon Witherspoon pick, the opportunity was there because the teams drafting 6-9 didn't like Carter very much because of his off-the-field concerns. Those are definite worries, but Carter's upside is enormous. Carter is arguably the best prospect in this class, and outside of Bijan Robinson, no player who was going to be available for the Eagles was going to help them win a Super Bowl this year more than Carter.
Grade: B+
Gervon Dexter is a lengthy, quick and strong defensive tackle with plenty of upside. The Bears lost Akiem Hicks recently, so a replacement was needed. I had Dexter pegged around this range, so this seems like a solid choice.
Grade: F -
This is a strange pick. Brenton Strange is someone I had late third round at the very earliest. Strange, who has nice run-after-the-catch ability, is a reach here, but not necessarily an egregious one. What really gets me is that tight end is the last thing the Jaguars needed. With lots of other holes on the roster, Jacksonville should have gone elsewhere. This is our first Millen of the weekend.
Grade: B+
It makes sense that the Bears would continue to add to their very weak defensive line. Zacch Pickens has a ton of upside as an athletic lineman. This is a solid choice to begin the third round.
Grade: C-
I'm not sure why the Saints needed to trade up for Nick Saldiveri, who was a late-round prospect. Saldiveri is at least a versatile lineman - he can play tackle and guard - which is key because New Orleans needed blocking help.
Grade: A-
I had Tyler Scott going about 20-25 picks earlier than this, so I'm a fan of this value. Tyler Scott is a small receiver, but he's extremely quick. He should be able to help Justin Fields.
Grade: C+
I didn't have Yasir Abdullah in my mock draft, but he was in consideration for the final couple of rounds. Abdullah was productive as a pass rusher at Louisville, but he's a bit small so he won't be a full-time player.
Grade: A+
Noah Sewell doesn't fill a need at all after the Bears spent so much capital on linebackers, but there's no denying this great value. Sewell, a big linebacker who covers well for a player his size, should have been chosen on Day 2. This is a steal.
Grade: C
Travis Bell is pretty limited athletically and comes from a school where he didn't face much competition. He may have a hard time making the roster.
Grade: B+
Kendall Williamson is a tough safety who plays well versus the run and has good instincts. He's not a good athlete at all, but he could fight for a role.
Walt's Mock Selections as of 6/6/2023 -View Current Mock Draft
Round: 1
Chicago Bears: Peter Skoronski, OT/G, Northwestern
Thanks to the incompetence of the Houston Texans, the Bears were able to obtain the top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. They have since moved down to No. 9 in a very successful trade. This then begs the question, what do the Bears do with the ninth pick? Offensive line seems like an obvious choice, but the team's dreadful defense must be addressed as well.
Peter Skoronski is an athletic tackle who has kept his quarterback clean. He can play every position up front, though his short arms may have him end up at guard.
*** OTHER 2023 NFL DRAFT POSSIBILITIES: ***
1. Jalen Carter, DT - This is a potential home for Carter if he slips because of his character concerns.
2. Paris Johnson, OT - The other tackle option for the Bears, who would love to reunite Justin Fields with his former college teammate.
Round: 2
Chicago Bears: Derick Hall, OLB, Auburn
The Bears lost a ton of front-seven talent over the past couple of offseasons, so they really need help finding players who can get to the quarterback.
Derick Hall was a solid player at Auburn, but doesn't have high potential for the NFL.
Round: 2
Chicago Bears: Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss
Despite the Bears trading for D.J. Moore and Chase Claypool, they're still looking for an injection of talent into the position.
Jonathan Mingo is a huge receiver who runs great routes and can generate good yards after the catch.
Round: 3
Chicago Bears: Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
Pick a position outside of quarterback, and the Bears have a need at that spot. Their cornerbacks are horrible outside of Jaylon Johnson.
Tyrique Stevenson comes with some character concerns, but he is a big cornerback with plus speed.
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Round: 4
Chicago Bears: Olusegun Oluwatimi, C, Michigan
Here's one more offensive line upgrade for the Bears, who need a new center.
Olusegun Oluwatimi could be limited to center because of a lack of length.
Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
Take a look:
You can buy it here. It has some NFL Draft-related topics, so like I said, if you want to support the site, this is a great way to do it!
Round: 4
Chicago Bears: Rashad Torrence, S, Florida
The Bears are razor thin in the secondary, so that needs to change.
Rashad Torrence is a very instinctive safety.
Round: 5
Chicago Bears: Andre Carter II, OLB, Army
The Bears will be looking for pass rushers to replace Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn.
Andre Carter disappointed in his final season at Army.
Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
Take a look:
You can buy it here. It has some NFL Draft-related topics, so like I said, if you want to support the site, this is a great way to do it!
Round: 5
Chicago Bears: Kei'Trel Clark, CB, Louisville
The Bears have a thin group of corners, so they could easily double up on the position.
Kei'Trel Clark is a smaller corner, but has great cover ability.
Round: 7
Chicago Bears: Jayson Ademilola, DT, Notre Dame
The Bears can't use enough picks on their defensive front, which was weakened by recent departures.
Follow @walterfootball for updates. Also, you can Support Us on Patreon here!
Also, if you'd like to support the site, check out my book! It's available on Amazon, and it's called A Safety and a Field Goal.
Take a look:
You can buy it here. It has some NFL Draft-related topics, so like I said, if you want to support the site, this is a great way to do it!
Round: 7
Chicago Bears: Ilm Manning, OT, Hawaii
The Bears must make sure that Justin Fields is well protected.
Past Grades and Selections
2023 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
A Charlie Campbell reported that the Eagles would trade up into the 6-9 range for Jalen Carter if he got past Seattle. Once the Seahawks made their strange Devon Witherspoon pick, the opportunity was there because the teams drafting 6-9 didn't like Carter very much because of his off-the-field concerns. Those are definite worries, but Carter's upside is enormous. Carter is arguably the best prospect in this class, and outside of Bijan Robinson, no player who was going to be available for the Eagles was going to help them win a Super Bowl this year more than Carter.
B+ Gervon Dexter is a lengthy, quick and strong defensive tackle with plenty of upside. The Bears lost Akiem Hicks recently, so a replacement was needed. I had Dexter pegged around this range, so this seems like a solid choice.
F - This is a strange pick. Brenton Strange is someone I had late third round at the very earliest. Strange, who has nice run-after-the-catch ability, is a reach here, but not necessarily an egregious one. What really gets me is that tight end is the last thing the Jaguars needed. With lots of other holes on the roster, Jacksonville should have gone elsewhere. This is our first Millen of the weekend.
B+ It makes sense that the Bears would continue to add to their very weak defensive line. Zacch Pickens has a ton of upside as an athletic lineman. This is a solid choice to begin the third round.
C- I'm not sure why the Saints needed to trade up for Nick Saldiveri, who was a late-round prospect. Saldiveri is at least a versatile lineman - he can play tackle and guard - which is key because New Orleans needed blocking help.
A- I had Tyler Scott going about 20-25 picks earlier than this, so I'm a fan of this value. Tyler Scott is a small receiver, but he's extremely quick. He should be able to help Justin Fields.
C+ I didn't have Yasir Abdullah in my mock draft, but he was in consideration for the final couple of rounds. Abdullah was productive as a pass rusher at Louisville, but he's a bit small so he won't be a full-time player.
A+ Noah Sewell doesn't fill a need at all after the Bears spent so much capital on linebackers, but there's no denying this great value. Sewell, a big linebacker who covers well for a player his size, should have been chosen on Day 2. This is a steal.
C Travis Bell is pretty limited athletically and comes from a school where he didn't face much competition. He may have a hard time making the roster.
B+ Kendall Williamson is a tough safety who plays well versus the run and has good instincts. He's not a good athlete at all, but he could fight for a role.
2022 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
C+ Grade
I'd like Kyler Gordon here if he didn't have some major character issues. Some teams removed Gordon from their draft board. Gordon will be a good player and fill a big need for the Bears if he stays focused on football, but it's unclear if that'll happen.
C- Grade
The Bears are setting up Justin Fields for failure by not addressing the receiver position. I like Jaquan Brisker in this range as an instinctive safety, but not finding a receiver may ruin Fields. That will definitely factor into this grade.
B Grade
The Bears finally found some help for Justin Fields! I liked Velus Jones as a third-day sleeper, but not as much in the third round. Still, Jones could end up being a decent No. 2 receiver in the NFL with his great deep speed. Fields should enjoy throwing deep passes to him on the rare occasions in which he has protection in the pocket.
B Grade
I don't like this offensive line pick as much as I did the last one Chicago made, but it's still a solid choice. Zachary Thomas can play both tackle and guard, and his versatility will be key for a team with severe blocking issues.
2021 NFL Draft Selections and Grades
A+ Grade
The Bears had to make this move. Andy Dalton was their projected starter entering the 2021 season, and there's no way they could have sold their fans and players on that. They couldn't waste a great defense or Allen Robinson any further. I imagine they're absolutely shocked that Justin Fields is still on the board. He's arguably the second-best quarterback in this class. For my money he is, so I must grade this as an A+.
B Grade
The Eagles broke the Giants' heart when they traded ahead of them for Devonta Smith. This prompted the Giants to trade down to No. 20, where they got the next-best receiver in the class. I had Toney going to the Titans at No. 22, so this range is right for him, and New York is getting good value when the trade is considered. Toney seems like a great complement for Kenny Golladay, so I like this pick, as the Giants needed to give Daniel Jones one more weapon.
A Grade
I slotted Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to the Browns in the first round, so I love this value. That said, I'm not surprised Owusu-Koramoah slipped. Some would say he doesn't have a natural position, so after Isaiah Simmons' struggles last year, teams may have been worried about Owusu-Koramoah's translation to the NFL. However, he's a great athlete and should be able to help Cleveland defend Lamar Jackson.
C Grade
I've had Tommy Tremble in the fourth or fifth rounds of my mock draft, so I think this is a slight reach in the middle of the third round. That said, it fills a huge need for the Panthers, who didn't really have anything at tight end outside of the mediocre Dan Arnold.
A Grade
Shi Smith was one of the standout receivers of the Senior Bowl, so it's not a surprise that the Panthers drafted him because they coached him in Mobile! I thought Shi Smith would go early on Day 3, so I'm a big fan of this value, as the Panthers try to replace Curtis Samuel.
A- Grade
The Seahawks finally obtained an offensive lineman! I mocked Stone Forsythe 35 picks earlier, so I like the value Seattle is getting with Forsythe, who blocked well the past two seasons. He allowed just two sacks last year.
B Grade
The Bears might have made this pick with trading Anthony Miller in mind. Dazz Newsome is a limited athlete, and he best projects as a replacement for Miller, who has been the subject of trade rumors. Newsome makes sense in this range.
B+ Grade
I'm surprised the Bears waited this long for a cornerback, given that they needed two players at the position as the result of Kyle Fuller and Bryce Callahan leaving for Denver across several offseasons. I slotted Thomas Graham 40 picks prior to this, so I like the value.