7 Defensive linemen who could join the Chicago Bears in 2023
By Peter Jurich
Defensive linemen the Chicago Bears could draft in 2023
The Bears currently hold the number two overall pick. Assuming that it holds, which it very well might not, the team has many options. Ryan Poles will have options in not only what player to pick, but what part of the roster to address as well as the possibility of trading down. These defensive linemen will be available for the Chicago Bears whether they maintain the second overall pick, end up with a worse pick, or decide to trade back to add draft capital for the future.
Will Anderson Jr.
Likely the first defensive player taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, Will Anderson joins a long list of successful Alabama defensive players who will be taken in the first round. Through three seasons, Anderson accumulated 32.5 sacks for the Crimson Tide, as well as nearly 200 total tackles.
At 6’4″ and 245 lbs, Anderson is not only an aggressive pass rusher but a beast in the run game. He set the edge defensively for Alabama for three seasons. Anderson’s best season came in 2021 as a sophomore, where he tallied 17.5 sacks in 15 games.
He may need to add some weight as he gets to the NFL to better stop the run. However, as a strict pass rusher, Anderson has the intangibles in size and speed and the energy and relentlessness to become a blue-chip player for the Bears’ defense for years to come.
Jalen Carter
Another highly touted college prospect, Jalen Carter will likely be a top-five pick in the coming draft. Some even believe he could easily end up getting drafted over Anderson. Carter doesn’t have as good of numbers as Anderson in their college careers, but at 6’3″ and 310 lbs, Carter has the frame and quickness of the modern-day 3-technique that is reflected in players such as Aaron Donald.
Carter is a strong defensive tackle who has not necessarily shined as a pass rusher with only five sacks in his last two seasons at Georgia. However, he has the traits of a dominant run-stopper and someone who may demand double teams in dropbacks at the NFL level.
Georgia has been a factory of NFL talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. This dates back to the Bears selecting Roquan Smith in the first round, but Carter might be the most impressive prospect of the past five or so years. A five-star recruit out of high school, Carter has the pedigree of a top-five pick and could be the defensive piece that the Chicago Bears can build around for years to come.
Siaki Ika
A first-rounder in his own right, Ika is a little more of an under-the-radar prospect than Anderson or Carter. However, his NFL impact might be just as high as either of these players. At 6’4″ and 360 lbs, Ika is a prototype nose tackle who plays faster than his size, and can truly create havoc up front for opposing offenses.
Similar to Tampa Bay Buccaneer Vita Vea, Ika is a genuinely huge player who flat-out outsizes many NFL interior offensive linemen and will demand more than one blocker in the run-and-pass game. Coming out of Baylor, Ika recorded 4.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in four seasons. Ika is incredibly reliable, playing in every game for the Baylor Bears for the past two seasons.
Ika is a tremendously athletic player for his size, and similar to recent players such as Vea and Philadelphia Eagles first-round pick Jordan Davis, he has the ability to create one on ones for his other defensive lineman next to him. Likely a late first or early second-round pick in the coming draft, Ika may be a name to target if the Bears end up trading down from their first pick.