Should the Chicago Bears start tanking right now?
By Peter Jurich
Who should the Bears target to improve their team now?
The Bears need so much help across the board, they very well might end up just drafting the best player available. A new receiver, lineman, or defensive player will likely step in as the defacto number one at their position next season. So as long as the Bears finish in the top 10 and don’t pick a quarterback, there should be a plethora of options to improve this team.
The top receivers, in no particular order, include Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison, and Quentin Johnston. On the offensive line, there is Peter Skoronski and Paris Johnson, Jr. The top prospects on defense include Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Brady Bresee, and Myles Murphy.
That’s nine different players who could all come into Chicago and likely start for the Bears on day one. Obviously, some of these picks are more intriguing than others and picking a wide receiver or a lineman changes the outlook compared to drafting an edge rusher. But, with Matt Eberflus’ history as a defensive coordinator, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went out and got a star defensive player to build around.
With talent obviously available around the Bears’ projected draft pick, it might not be necessary to actively tank this season. Don’t get me wrong, I think the Chicago Bears will go out and lose a lot of games down the stretch, but that’s more of a factor of who they’re playing in the near future. As long as the Bears don’t do the foolish thing and pick a quarterback in the first round next year, they should be able to secure a game-changer in some fashion in the 2023 NFL Draft.