The Chicago Bears trade down multiple times in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft

Chicago Bears – Pick No. 16: Peter Skoronski, OT – Northwestern

With their first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select Peter Skoronski — offensive tackle out of Northwestern. Braxton Jones has done a solid job. The team doesn’t know what they have in Alex Leatherwood. However, that doesn’t mean they can just pass on a player who should be an upgrade at left tackle. Maybe Jones swaps to right tackle, or they can kick him inside to play left guard after they cut Cody Whitehair this offseason. He is a potential salary cap casualty.

It is the general manager’s job to improve the roster and adding a player like Peter Skoronski is one way of doing that. Skoronski is probably not falling to 16th overall, but seeing him here made it almost impossible to even consider another trade. I had a few options that moved the 16th pick back into the 20s, but I wasn’t going to allow a prospect like Skoronski to go to another team. Paris Johnson and Broderick Jones were the first two offensive linemen selected.

Skoronski is 6’4″ and 315 pounds. He is a homegrown kid out of Park Ridge, IL. He has been a force for the Northwestern Wildcats. His arm length could be a problem as most scouts want their left tackles to have around 34″-long arms. Skoronski has 32 2/8″ arms. This could mean he plays right tackle while Jones stays at left. Maybe he is kicked inside to play guard. The talent is there, now it’s up to the coaches to determine who should play which positions in 2023.

Skoronski has a strong frame and does a nice job clearing a path to the second level when run blocking. He has a quick release at the snap that allows him to get into position and hold it while pass-blocking. He has a nice bend to his game that allows him to take on bull rushes while defending on passing downs. Overall, getting a top offensive lineman at 16 just makes too much sense for a roster depleted of talent in key areas — especially the offensive line.