3 players Chicago Bears must avoid in top 10 of 2023 NFL draft

The Chicago Bears could go in so many directions with their pick in the top 10. While there are some good choices, there are also some questionable decisions that could be had. Keep in mind that while these could be fits later in the draft, the question is more about whether or not these players would be worth a top-ten pick.

3. The Chicago Bears should avoid Devon Witherspoon in the top ten

I cannot deny that Devon Witherspoon has excellent tape. However, in the specific scenario of him with the Chicago Bears, and in the top ten, it is a hard sell. First off, he lacks the elite size you want from a cornerback if you are taking one this high.

We obviously saw the Bears not have a problem with this when they took Kyler Gordon last year, but that is kind of the issue. They were high on Gordon last year, but his size caught up with him at the next level, and because the team does not have a strong pass rush, he struggled. Devon Witherspoon is better than Gordon, but if they have two smaller cornerbacks out there and a bad pass rush, it is asking to put him in a bad spot.

After investing in Gordon and Jaquan Brisker last season they need to look to the trenches. It is hard to see Witherspoon being the best player available anyways when a tackle with prototypical size is there, or possibly even Jalen Carter.

Beyond his size, Witherspoon really broke out during his senior season. His yards per snap went from 1.18 to 0.48. It is not that he was not known before this season, but he was not this highly regarded. Some of the reasons for his great stats is avoiding Ohio State. When you look at his opponents, the best performance against NFL talent was probably a dominant display against Dontayvion Wicks.

Hit tape is solid, but he only has one year, he is a senior while most of the other top options are younger underclassmen, and he spent a lot of time beating up on weaker receivers, and reading poor Big 10 quarterbacks. When you add that to the reality that his role is not a need, you have to assume that someone will be higher on the Chicago Bears board.