Now that the Pro Days are about wrapped up and teams are in the home stretch of the 2023 NFL draft preparation we will do another Chicago Bears mock draft. This will be trying to predict what they will do more than what we would do in this situation. We are using PFF for the big board to create a pool of players, so if you do not think a player will be there, blame them, not me.
With that all said, who could the Chicago Bears walk away with?
Round 1, 9th overall: Paris Johnson Jr. OT, Ohio State
Last mock draft we did Broderick Jones, so why not do one featuring Paris Johnson? The vibe has gotten even stronger that the Chicago Bears will go tackle here. They will get to take the first tackle, and Paris Johnson may be proving that he is just that.
The team saying Braxton Jones could move to right tackle before the draft tells you that left tackle is on the table during the draft. Paris Johnson is the type of no-brainer top-ten pick that you put at left tackle for the foreseeable future.
With Johnson, you add an elite left tackle, and with Jones, you still probably upgrade at right tackle, even after he switches sides. It will likely be one or the other, so why not kick things off by selecting Broderick Jones in the first mock, and Paris Johnson now?
Round 2, 53rd overall: Joe Tippmann C, Wisconsin
The Chicago Bears appear set to be drafting a center this offseason. They cannot rely on Cody Whitehair for a full season and they have to look to the future. The question is mainly just when do they make that decision?
With a couple of options at center featuring Luke Wypler and John Michael-Schmitz, there is a good chance one of them will be there at pick 53. However, if one or even two of them are off of the board by this pick, the team has to make it the floor for when they take a center. It is too hard to see another center falling to their next pick at 61.
So, the Chicago Bears go offensive line back to back. I do not think fans would be too mad. Tippman may not be the first center to get drafted, but he may be the best fit for the Chicago Bears. He is excellent at pulling in space, and better in the second level than JMS. He also brings a little more power than Luke Wypler.
Tippmann may start at guard while he gets used to learning the calls in the NFL, then shift over to center. This would allow Whitehair to start, but with his injury history and age, it also would set up for Tippmann to finish the season.
Round 2 61st overall: Isaiah Foskey, Edge, Notre Dame
Of all the picks, this may be the most surprising of a player to fall. However, there is some depth at edge rusher, and you can pick your stile of player. So, the Chicago Bears could see one slip through the cracks to the bottom of round two. That would make Isaiah Foskey a great fit.
Foskey is a Senior and while he did well at the Senior Bowl, and NFL combine, he also did not steal headlines at either event. It was more workmen like. So, he is not capturing headlines, and it has him down at 61 in this mock draft.
He had a great 40-yard dash but was not as strong out the gate with the 10. He also was below average in the agility drills, which shows that he does not have the ability to bend the edge with ease and get below the reach of tackles. Isaiah Foskey is more upright in the way he plays. This alone is probably going to push him out of round one. Still, the rest of his profile makes him a great fit in round two.
If the Chicago Bears can get someone like Foskey here it would be a great fit. He is not the most refined rusher, but he knows how to win with power and length. He can come in and rush rotationally, and he has the upside to be a starter in the NFL as well. Foskey is not going to be a 10-sack upside type of player, but in a rotation, he is exactly the type of rusher you need.
At this point, that makes him the perfect fit for the Chicago Bears.
Round 3 64th overall: Siaki Ika, DL, Baylor
Siaki Ika is another player who is falling a bit because he did not make enough noise in the offseason. In fact, he is falling because his NFL combine was not very strong.
Still, while that certainly will push him out of round one, you do see the weight as well and realize what type of player this is. This is a nose tackle, so while the athletic traits do lower his ceiling as a pass rusher, that is never what he was getting drafted for.
Siaki Ika can push a pocket, and fans thought he may be more athletic because he looked like on his feet. However, he is best at planting his feet and stuffing holes in the run game. With his size and his feet, you can still bet on him doing that, even without the high-end movement skills. Plenty of nose tackles had success with worse athletic traits, and that is not quite what you are looking for.
It is fair that he will provide limited third down value, and that is why he will fall to the third round here. Still, the Chicago Bears had a patethic run defense, so adding one of the best run stuffers in the class makes plenty of sense.
Round 4 103rd overall: Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU
Some will look at Jaquelin Roy as yet another run stuffer and think that it is overkill. However, there is more to the eye, and Roy could provide more pass-rushing upside in the NFL. He is violent with his hands and gets a better forward push than Ika. He is not as big as Ika, and while he is a good run defender, he is no Ika, but this is a player with a high floor due to his run defense, and also a ceiling worth considering.
Beyond that, the Chicago Bears cannot be done with their defensive line. If they add Roy and Ika, they can join Justin Jones and Andrew Billings. With two rookies in the mix they still barely have a fifth name amongst the interior to compete with either. If they draft Roy here he is a lock to make the roster and push someone worse from the interior down. That is a good fourth-round value.
Round 4, 133rd overall: K.J. Henry, Edge Clemson
I am not going to sugar coat and tell you that K.J. Henry has the most upside in the world. He is drafted here more for his floor. Henry was a great rusher at Clemson last season, but so much of his work came because attention was on first round prospects.
Henry took advantage of stunts, twists, and hustle snaps that resulted in enough work to get him recognition. He is a leader in the locker room from a big-time program and checks all of the HITS boxes. Beyond that, he can play on special teams.
The upside is limited, he gets little bend, he is not the longest player, and he only has so much in his rushing arsenal. Still, the floor is high, and when you look at the Bears' depth chart he can get rotational snaps.
They have Dominique Robinson, DeMarcus Walker, Trevis Gipson and will add Isaiah Foskey and K.J. Henry. Considering they can slide Walker inside as well, drafting four guys along the defensive line is totally realistic, two inside, and two outside.
Round 5: 136th overall: Carter Warren, OT, Pitt
The Chicago Bears continue to build through the trenches with Carter Warren. Warren was the starting left tackle when Pitt had their run under Kenny Pickett but missed almost all of last season with an injury. He would have went much higher if it were not for the injury, and now the Bears may be adding depth left tackle help at a great value because of it.
Round 5, 148th overall: Payne Durham, TE, Purdue
Even after adding Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan the team will likely need a third tight end. They only have Chase Allen and Jake Tonges to compete for the third and fourth spot. Durham makes a lot of sense. He is not dynamic as a pass catcher, but is reliable. More than that, he can provide as a blocker and help the others catch passes.
Round 7, 218th overall: Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
Terell Smith is a bit of a one-year wonder at Minnesota, he struggled mostly through his senior year. Still, he has the length and speed needed to take a swing on this late.
Round 7, 258th overall: Matt Landers, WR, Arkansas
Matt Landers started his career at Georgia. Then, he transferred to Toledo, put up stats, and went to Arkansas for his last season. He is more athlete than wide receiver, but he is a big body that could compete to make the back end of the roster.