3 positions Chicago Bears must address on day three of 2023 NFL draft
The fun of the Chicago Bears having three picks on day two of the NFL draft is now over. Still, the Chicago Bears now have five picks on day three, and that is before Ryan Poles has his eyes on trades. Beyond that, it is the Bears who will be starting the day off, picking first.
After missing out on starting the 2023 NFL draft off for days one or two, this is the Bears' chance to get things going. What are some of the positions that they could address early, but will have to address at some point on Saturday?
3. Chicago Bears need to find a center on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft
When the Chicago Bears jumped the New York Giants in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft it felt like the move was for a center. The Giants ended up taking a center because the Chicago Bears passed on John Michael-Schmitz for Tyrique Stevenson.
It shows that Ryan Poles stuck to his board, and continued to add to the secondary. However, the Chicago Bears do still need a center. Poles said that Cody Whitehair will start and that is great for now, but we know that Whitehair may be in and out of the lineup.
He is 31 years old now and has been banged up in two of the past three seasons. In that span, his play also dropped off, mainly because he has been trying to work through those ailments. This has slowly taken away from his game and made him less overall. So, he could be reliable for a few starts to get things going, but it is hard to see him being the man all season. They have Lucas Patrick, but they bet on him last season and lost. Can they do that again?
Beyond this year, the Chicago Bears need to start thinking about long-term options at center as well. Taking a guy on day three either means limited upside or more of a project. This may be the time for the Chicago Bears to swing on a project, knowing they have the short-term locked down, and they have the long-term in mind.
Nick Saldiveri, Jordan McFadden, and Brent Laing are guys who played tackle in college, but some think they would be best at center. Are these day-three options for the Chicago Bears?