As the Chicago Bears get ready to pick ninth in the 2023 NFL Draft they really do not have to worry about what other teams do. As long as they write down the nine best players on their board, they are for sure going to draft somebody on that list.
So, we will add one more and begin counting down the top ten options for the Chicago Bears.
10. Should Chicago Bears consider Lukas Van Ness?
Lukas Van Ness is right on the border of our top nine, and that is why he did top our list of guys that the Chicago Bears should not take at number nine. That is because there is a fair case to be made for him in this spot, but it also just feels like there will be a better option on the board.
Lukas Van Ness is almost all projection. Yes, you saw bits and pieces of glory and the highs are high. However, he did not start for Iowa and was limited in his time on the field. Beyond that, for big portions of the game, he would come and go.
Some wonder if he would be better adding some muscle and moving inside, but others see him as a bigger edge rusher. The reality Is that all of this is a projection when it comes to Lukas Van Ness. The upside that he brings could make us look back and think that he should have been higher. However, as the Chicago Bears stand right now, they need someone that they can take on solid footing and build around. Van Ness is too much of a question and too much of a thought at this point.
9. Is Darnell Wright an option for the Chicago Bears?
The name Darnell Wright has slowly crept up into the Chicago Bears range. It is hard to poke holes in his game, especially when you look at just his last season at right tackle. Wright struggled at left tackle and was nearly elite on the opposite side.
He followed that up with a great showing at the Senior Bowl, and then the NFL Combine as well. All of this has his stock soaring, but can he get to number nine? There are questions about the three years prior to his breakout, and the scheme that he ran with Tennessee is a bit different than what the Chicago Bears will ask.
Still, while he looks like he is a lumbering man, he is actually an amazing mover for his size, and he could fit into the Bears' zone-based scheme. Beyond that, he fits perfectly due to being a right tackle, The Chicago Bears could move Braxton Jones if they draft on the left side, but this fit is just so much cleaner.
There are enough questions with his projection, and at least a question if he can only play right tackle. That keeps him at nine, but taking a high-value position, and a good fit is not a bad idea.
8. Are Chicago Bears fans sleeping on Myles Murphy?
Myles Murphy appears to be flying under the radar. Before the 2022 season, he would have been a pick in the top 10 of any mock draft, and sometimes he was in the top five. He did not work out at the NFL Combine, and his steam died a bit, but it did not pick back up despite a nice Pro Day
To be fair, that Pro Day definitely pushed him back into being a first-round lock, but he is not a top-ten lock at all. He was not as productive during his junior season compared to his sophomore season, but like Van Ness, the best is yet to come. Unlike Van Ness, you have a longer track record of production and a defined role. Murphy can slide inside at times, but one of his best abilities are rushing against the same tackle all game, which causes him to build moves and work off of them.
Murphy is solid against the run and has a good pass-rush plan. He passes the athletic test and has two years of quality production. He does not get enough love in the top ten, and he may be more ready to start and set the edge every snap compared to someone like Lukas Van Ness.
7. When will Tyree Wilson get drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft?
Of all of the players on this list, Tyree Wilson is the most likely to be drafted by the time the Chicago Bears pick. However, the team did bring him in, and while the room is hot on him, it only takes a team or two in the top nine to cause a tumble to the Chicago Bears.
Tyree Wilson is a mammoth of a human and checks all of the physical boxes that you would like to see from a premier defensive player. His pass rush productivity increased significantly during his senior year, and the highlight tape shows a player who can move up and down the defensive line and attack from all over.
He reminds you of Jadeveon Clowney in the way that he can come at with your brute force, and also line up over the center and charge at the quarterback with speed and momentum downhill. It is an intriguing combination. There are questions to his game, and he does not have the greatest arsenal of hand moves or the most bend. This, combined with the reality that he will be gone by this pick have him a bit lower. Still, there would be a time when the Chicago Bears would have to draft Tyree Wilson.
6. Could the Chicago Bears draft Christian Gonzalez?
If the Chicago Bears do draft a cornerback, it should be Christian Gonzalez. If you need one game to sell you on Gonzalez, it should actually be his Colorado video from 2021 against Drake London. You can see him against a top ten pick, and while London had his wins, you can also see why Oregon was quick to ask him to transfer.
Christian Gonzalez has everything you want from a cornerback. He combines the height, weight, speed, and length with a solid and fluid mover. Gonzalez does a great job sinking his hips and allowing him to transition in coverage.
He played primarily zone coverage, but all of his traits, and enough of his tape in man show that he could be that guy as well. The only reason he is not higher is that the Chicago Bears have to address the trenches. Too many times they had cornerbacks burnt because there was no pass rush to speak of. Continuing to build up the secondary only does so much when you have a huge issue upfront, and the Bears need to push pass rushers up higher.
5. Is Peter Skoronski a fit for the Chicago Bears?
The only real question with Peter Skoronski is the arm length. The Chicago Bears released a video that says that they factor in arm length to their evaluation, and with that, you have Skoronski at number five. Everything beyond that says that he is a slam dunk for the Chicago Bears here.
Skoronski has the experience that the other tackles do not have, and with that, he is more technically sound than them. Still, his athletic upside is being underrated due to the upside from the other options at tackle. This is a great athlete.
The reality is that even if Skoronski stays at tackle, the length will always be his one flaw. It will always limit him from being that elite, Trent Williams status. At the same time, he has no flaws at all at guard. That gives us an interesting trade-off. Zack Martin or Marshall Yanda would still be in the discussion for number nine overall in any draft.
Ryan Poles identifying length as a major factor is why he Skoronski is this low. However, Poles saying he wants the five best players and will figure it out later is why he is so high on this list.
4. Broderick Jones is a great option for the Chicago Bears
Too many people are sleeping on Broderick Jones. He was a backup as a freshman and most of his sophomore year, but he was behind Jamaree Salyer, who now starts for the Chargers. That is fair. Still, Jones was an elite recruit and the next one in waiting.
Jones finished 2021 as a starter, and held down the left side in the national championship. Then, he was even better in 2022 and they won it all again. Broderick Jones has some technical flaws to clean up, and the only thing he really needs is experience. Besides that, we are talking about the tackle prospect that you dream of.
When he punches you feel it, and when he is out on the move, the train is coming. He checks the athletic boxes, the age boxes, the length boxes, you name it. Coming from Georgia he is ready to run block, and once he untaps his pass protection, he will be elite.
Broderick Jones cleaning things up with experience is more likely than Peter Skoronski growing longer arms. This is what pushes Jones over Skoronski when both are close as overall prospects.
3. Paris Johnson should be a highly considered prospect for the Chicago Bears
If you wanted to make the case for Broderick Jones over Paris Johnson, you probably could. The fact that there are three options, and they all tear each other apart to set one above the rest is probably what makes so many down on the idea of a tackle at pick nine.
However, fans have to realize that while none of the three are elite and stand above the rest, in this draft there are no better options. Paris Johnson has everything you want from an NFL tackle.
He only has one year of starting experience at left tackle, but the upside is everything you needed to see. Johnson is another player that could clean things up and you will see his best play very soon. This is why he is over Skornski, who cannot get physically longer.
Paris Johnson has the length, foot quickness, and pass protection. He is an underclassman and he is just some needed experience away from being a ten-year starter on the blind side for Justin Fields. This seems easier than some fans are making it.
2. Will Anderson will be taken high in the 2023 NFL draft
Yes, we had to list Will Anderson, but he is the most likley to be gone. Still, if you are listing the top players, he is easily on this list. Once you take away Anderson, there really are eight options. Assuming one quarterback we goes, we really only needed a top seven. Nonetheless there are reports that Anderson may fall a bit in the draft. If Tyree Wilson and Jalen Carter go ahead of him, and then we see four quarterbacks, fans would at least stand up and get excited. Still, it is hard to see him falling.
1. Will Jalen Carter fall to the Chicago Bears?
This leaves us with number one. On the field, it is fair to make the claim that Jalen Carter is better, and more impactful than Will Anderson. Off of the field, who knows? Off of the field is the only reason we are discussing the thought of Jalen Carter to the Chicago Bears at nine. It is also why fans want to pass on him at nine. Considering we never met Carter, it is hard to take it much further than that. Ryan Poles has the personality thought out more than us, and now the question is does he fall, and do the Chicago Bears pull the trigger and take him he does fall to them.