Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft: Final seven-round mock draft leaves many fans excited

Chicago Bears Draft Pick No. 148: Colby Wooden, DT - Auburn

Just a quick trade here. I sent pick 146 to the Raiders for our original pick at 148. We swapped late-round picks of 218 and 204 as well.

Taking Colby Wooden at 148 was a "best player available" pick for me. I honestly am not sure he fits the defensive scheme too well. He looks to be more of a 3-4 defensive end than a 4-3 defensive end. That said, I have to wonder if he couldn't also play inside. With how bad the defensive line was last year, I'm all for grabbing extra guys who are talented and can get to the quarterback. I'll expect my coaches to try and find ways to put them in the best position to succeed.

Wooden has a great RAS of 9.26, meaning he fits the athletic profile that Ryan Poles likes to see from his players. He has a great burst off the line of scrimmage and does a fantastic job working to the inside already, I could see them using Wooden on stunts on third downs to try and create mismatches vs the opposing offensive line.

The downside of Wooden is that he sometimes struggles to stay low and can get washed out of plays when the offensive tackle gets under his pad and drives him away from the play. These inconsistencies are why he is being selected in the fifth round as opposed to Day 2. He did come away with six sacks and 24 hurries last season. The year before he had seven and 26. It should be noted he played nearly identical snaps in the B-Gap (think 3-tech) as he did outside the offensive tackle (think 4-3 end). Give me all the pass rushers!