The Chicago Bears trade down in the first round again in this full 2023 mock draft

The Chicago Bears look to the defensive side of the ball early

1st Round | 12th Pick | Myles Murphy, DE - Clemson

This happens every year. Heading into December, Myles Murphy was viewed as a top-five prospect. Now, as the NFL Combine and Pro Days take place, fans and analysts fall in love with workout warriors. One NFL Draft Analyst actually put Adetomiwa Adebawore into the top 15 of their rankings. Mel Kiper is said analyst. Now, I am a big proponent of Adetomiwa Adebawore and the Senior Bowl put me onto his film. He tested off the charts at the NFL Combine and also at his Pro Day. To have him in the top 15 though is one bold take by Kiper. These things happen over and over again though.

I'll point out that when it comes to mock drafts, Mel Kiper is not the most accurate these days. I don't have a leg to stand on as mine are not 100 percent accurate either, but I do feel that too many analysts move prospects up and down their draft boards based on testing. I think that is what is happening with Myles Murphy.

If we add the quarterbacks to the top of draft boards (I wouldn't), then Myles Murphy should still be viewed as a top-10 prospect. To land him at 12 would be fantastic. I have no idea how Poles has constructed his draft board. I can tell you that on my board, Murphy is ranked as my second EDGE rusher behind only Will Anderson. Tyree Wilson has more upside but also has more risk. Murphy is a safe bet and I think he will be an eight-to-12-sack guy almost every year in the NFL.

I considered the other names, especially Paris Johnson. However, the dropoff from the top EDGE rushers is greater in my opinion than the dropoff from from the top offensive tackles. The Bears' defensive line accounted for nine sacks in 22. The team made moves in free agency, but that is not enough.