With one week to go until the 2023 NFL draft, we will be doing our second-to-last mock draft for the Chicago Bears. This will be trying to predict what the team does, and we have had a few solid hits in the past from Bilal Nichols to Cole Kmet. So, what will the team do this year?
Round 1, 9 Overall: Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State
All steam appears to be leaning this way. The Chicago Bears leaked a video showing that they value length as one of their significant qualifiers for a player. You could argue that Peter Skoronski is a better fit for the Bears factors because he may be the soundest pass protector, but you could also argue that Johnson does not have pass protection skills that disqualify him, while the length of Skoronski could be too short, and lead them to view him as a guard.
As we get closer to the NFL draft, the thought that the team could trade down once again is getting warmer and warmer. Still, it is hard to say exactly when who, and for what would make that deal happen. If the Chicago Bears do stay at nine, it is so hard to see them going anywhere but tackle, unless Jalen Carter does end up falling. With that in mind, we do have a repeat pick, but a prediction that they will take Paris Johnson.