The 2023 NFL draft is right around the corner, in this article there will be three first-round prospects covered, three day-two prospects covered, and finally, three day-three prospects covered. All nine prospects will be graded on how good of value they will be in the respective round they are projected to be drafted in. Meaning that just because a player is projected in the third round doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have more respective value than a player in the first round.
The main position groups targeted in this article will be the offensive line, defensive line, and possibly wide receiver and cornerback depth. As the offensive line and defensive line are the true weakness of this Bears team at the moment and building through the draft in the trenches would be a step in the right direction.
First Day 1 Chicago Bears Target: Jalen Carter, IDL - Georgia
Jalen Carter is arguably the best player in the draft and the best player in the draft in many people’s eyes. The talent is undeniable, you can try and knock the inconsistent motor and possible conditioning issues, but his list of weaknesses on the field ends right about there.
Carter’s downfall started back when Todd McShay dropped a quote about Carter having “character issues”. Those allegations started to flare up even more when Carter faced misdemeanor charges of reckless driving in a case that involved the death of one of his teammates in Georgia.
All of Carter’s issues are off the field which could take him off the draft board of teams inside the top ten which could make him fall to the Bears at number 9. In addition to this, Carter’s agent did not let him meet with teams outside of the top ten, so the likeness of a team trading up for Carter is less likely. Carter could very well fall to the Bears at pick 9, and it would be a no-brainer type of pick for a team struggling heavily on the defensive line.