Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft Preview

Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft Preview

2023 NFL Draft – Kansas City, MO

Round 1 (Thursday, April 27, 7pm), Rounds 2-3 (Friday, April 28, 6pm), Rounds 4-7 (Saturday, April 29, 11am)

Of all the topics we’ve written about over the years, our annual NFL Draft Preview is right at the top of the list. It’s a fun column to write. I enjoy the research and digestion of film. I enjoy putting myself in a general manager’s shoes. I especially like creating comparisons of NFL prospects to current or former NFL players.

This year could be more interesting than usual because the Bears have so many selections. As of now, GM Ryan Poles has ten total picks after his move to trade with the Carolina Panthers. In that deal, he moved down from #1 overall in exchange for #9 along with acquiring WR D.J. Moore and additional picks. It was a shrewd move and exciting for armchair quarterbacks. Poles has four of the top 64 selections, and he needs to capitalize on these in order to lift the team’s roster from last season’s spot at the bottom of the barrel of the NFL.

Let’s construct a mock draft from 1st to 9th overall and then we’ll list the additional selections for Chicago with our predictions and analysis. As usual, I need to thank Lindy’s and Athlon’s for their excellent Draft Preview magazines, along with a book I buy each year called DTP’s 2023 NFL Draft Guide by Daniel Parlegreco.

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2023 MOCK DRAFT

1. Carolina Panthers (from Chicago) – C.J. Stroud/QB/Ohio State/6-3 218/Jersey #7/NFL Comparison: Deshaun Watson/Cleveland/6-3 223 – Most mock drafts have Bryce Young at the top of this year’s Draft. However, we see the Panthers taking a bigger, taller option in C.J. Stroud. Young is only 5-11 and Stroud is 6-3, which is more in line with your prototype. Other NFL QB’s in this height range would be DeShaun Watson, Geno Smith, and Justin Fields. Stroud seems like a safer option in our opinion. Young might be the choice if he were taller… or not. For all we know, Carolina likes Anthony Richardson or Will Levin. One thing seems for sure and that is Carolina will draft a quarterback #1 overall.
2. Houston Texans – Bryce Young/QB/Alabama/5-11 195/Jersey #9/NFL Comparison: Jalen Hurts/Philadelphia/6-1 223 – It’s tough to find a comp for Young simply because of his height. Sure we could compare Young to Kyler Murray (5-10 207) but honestly we don’t think Young has that speed and athleticism that Murray has (or had, prior to his ACL injury last season). Young is more of a pocket passer that has some mobility but chooses to not use it the majority of the time. Young could be a combination of Murray, Baker Mayfield (6-1 215), and Jalen Hurts. He might be smarter than any of those guys and a better reader of defenses. Houston needs a QB now that they’ve moved on from DeShaun Watson. We expect the Texans to pick one of the top four QB’s but honestly it’s hard to say which one.
3. Arizona Cardinals – Will Anderson/OLB/DE/EDGE/Alabama/6-3.5 253/Jersey #31/NFL Comparison: T.J. Watt/Pittsburgh/6-4 252 – Will Anderson might be the safest pick in this year’s Draft. It seems likely that he’ll be a long time contributor at worst if he doesn’t max his potential as a likely All-Pro pass rusher. Back when Chicago had the #1 overall pick, I was hoping Poles wouldn’t lose sight of Anderson as his guy. In Anderson’s three year career at Alabama, he put up 62 TFL’s and 34.5 sacks. It’s hard to argue with that production at the highest level of amateur football. If Arizona gets the opportunity to draft Anderson, I think they’ll take it and be happy with their choice for at least eight years.
4. Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Richardson/QB/Florida/6-4 244 4.43/Jersey #15/NFL Comparison: Cam Newton/Carolina (2011-’19)/6-5 245 OR Vince Young/Tennessee (2006-’10)/6-5 232 – To me, this is where the Draft gets really interesting. The Colts are dying for a quarterback. The fact that they didn’t trade up to #1 with the Bears or even #2 or #3 means they might, MIGHT, be ok with any of the top four quarterbacks, whether it be Stroud, Young, Richardson, or Will Levis. Who knows? Maybe they are ok with tanking for yet another year in hopes of landing next year’s hot prospect, Caleb Williams from USC. Our best guess is they would be happy taking either Richardson or Levis as a big, solid QB that might work out as their next franchise quarterback. At worst, they might be thinking they could always switch positions or trade away Richardson or Levis next off-season while they go ahead and draft Williams. Richardson could certainly play another position, and Levis looks like a Taysom Hill type of hybrid TE/FB/wildcat QB. Richardson has one of the highest ceilings and lowest floors of anyone in this Draft. He could be a Cam Newton who, don’t forget, led the Panthers to the 2015 Super Bowl during his one MVP season. Richardson could also be a Jamarcus Russell or a Mitch Trubisky. Like Trubisky, he only started one season. He made 12 starts last year for the Florida Gators and struggled most of the time. He threw 17 TD’s but also 9 INT’s. He was electric at times, but also clueless. His reads were poor. His accuracy was sometimes horrendous. His wildness in the pocket, running for his life, etc. sometimes predicted disaster. However, sometimes he’d run away from all the defenders and then make an insane touchdown throw. It was part Fran Tarkenton, Roger Staubach, Brett Favre, Steve Young, and Cam Newton all in one series. Overall, I’m torn on this guy. On one hand I love him. On the other hand, I’d feel reckless taking him. If I was an NFL GM, I’d feel like I was taking advantage of my position in order to use the pick for my own selfish desires. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more torn about a player. Sometimes I convince myself I’d take him #1 overall and feel excited about his future! Other times the conservative side of me thinks I wouldn’t even draft him in the 7th round, or sign him as free agent for gosh-sakes…. like, what’s the point on wasting time on this guy? Bottom line: I think the Colts might take the chance and hope their development team can him mold him into something that most of us are unwilling to even spend one ounce of sweat trying.
5. Seattle Seahawks – Jalen Carter/DT/Georgia/6-3 310/Jersey #88/NFL Comparison: Warren Sapp/Tampa Bay (6-2 300) – Jalen Carter’s comparison is an easy one: Warren Sapp. The reason is because like Sapp, Carter has had off-the-field issues since he ended his college career. Like Sapp’s pre-draft rumors of marijuana use, Carter is likewise a question mark because of off-the-field negatives. However, like Sapp, who overcame those issues very quickly, Carter might also prove us wrong and become an NFL Hall of Famer. Recently I conducted a random poll of my fantasy football buddies. The question: If you were the Bears, would you draft Jalen Carter at #9? The results were: 4 Yes, 3 No, 1 Abstain. The point is, why is a guy with this much talent such an unknown? Why did three of us want no part of Jalen Carter, despite his talent? Well, he has what they call “character issues”. More specifically, he was involved in a street racing car crash in which two of his Georgia football mates were killed. Carter wasn’t the driver. He didn’t kill anyone. He was simply involved in the accident and guilty of being a dumb college kid. However, there’s more. Carter was rumored to be a “sometimes” practice player. He showed up when he was motivated. He didn’t dominate this past season even though he and his Georgia team won the National Championship. His stats were paltry (7 TFL’s, 3 Sacks). He looked as if he were “going through the motions” a bit. Is the talent there? For sure. Is he motivated? Not sure. Does he have red flags? For sure. Could he mature and grow into a dominator at the pro level? I think he could. Overall, Carter doesn’t seem to love the game. Recently during his Pro Day, he looked out of shape to observers and didn’t even finish the drills. Bottom line: I wouldn’t take him in the top 10 because of all those red flags. Seattle and Coach Pete Carroll might try their luck. I’d rather have Bryan Bresee from Clemson. Let me be clear. I wouldn’t take Carter at all. I want no part of this guy, even if he becomes the next Warren Sapp.
6. Detroit Lions – Tyree Wilson/EDGE/Texas Tech/6-6 270/Jersey #19/NFL Comparison: Bradley Chubb/DE/Miami/6-4 275 – Tyree Wilson is an exciting prospect. The Lions could pair him with last year’s #1 pick Aidan Hutchinson to form a crazy athletic defensive front wall. Wilson put up 14 TFL’s and 7 Sacks last year for the Big 12 Conference’s Texas Tech Red Raiders. He also racked up 61 tackles and 8 QB hurries. He looks like a stud.
7. Las Vegas Raiders – Will Levis/QB/Kentucky/6-4 230/Jersey #7/NFL Comparison: Josh Allen/Buffalo/6-5 237 OR Taysom Hill/QB/New Orleans/6-2 221 – Levis gets a lot of comparisons to Josh Allen but personally we don’t think as highly of Levis as we did of Allen coming out of college. They are both big yet mobile QB’s. However, Allen has the biggest cannon of any QB in the history of football. Levis is also raw, like Allen, but he doesn’t possess the same skills. For as much as I thought Levis was a good runner, his rushing stats last year were… underwhelming (-103 yards, 2 TD’s). His passing numbers were pedestrian too (65%, 19 TD’s, 10 INT’s). The year before that, with great weapons in Wan’Dale Robinson and Josh Ali, Levis put up better numbers yet still underwhelming (66%, 24 TD’s, 13 INT’s). There’s that word again – underwhelming. Overall, that’s my word to describe Will Levis. He’s underwhelming. We’ll predict the Raiders will nab Levis and then be underwhelmed, eventually moving him to the Taysom Hill hybrid role with the New Orleans Saints. Like Hill, he will give maximum effort. But sometimes effort gets you nowhere, like when a player is fighting for that extra yard but then he fumbles. Sometimes it’s best to just go down.
8. Atlanta Falcons – Jordan Addison/WR/USC/5-11 173/Jersey #3/NFL Comparison: Darnell Mooney/5-11 174 – Addison is an awesome playmaker. But is he too small? When I saw that he compares physically to Darnell Mooney, I almost changed this mock pick. But Addison is consistently seen as a top 4 prospect at WR in this draft class. Sometimes Addison is listed as big as 6-0 180. Nonetheless, the guy can ball. Addison was at Pitt in 2021 playing with now-Steelers QB Kenny Pickett before taking his talents cross-coast to L.A. last year. Addison caught 100 passes for 1593 yards and 17 TD’s in ’21. Last year at USC, Addison had 59 catches for 875 yards and 8 TD’s. We think the Falcons will ignore his smallish size and take a chance on the ’21 Biletnikoff Award winner.
9. Chicago Bears (from Carolina) – Peter Skoronski/OT/Northwestern/6-4 315/Jersey #77/NFL Comparison: Rashawn Slater/OT/L.A. Chargers/6-4 315 or Connor Williams/LG/Miami/6-5 317/ – “With the #9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears select… Peter Skoronski, Offensive Tackle from Northwestern.” – Roger Goodell on Thursday night. I think this is a smart, safe pick for Chicago. Lately it feels like no mocks have the Bears selecting Skoronski and I don’t know why. Probably because it’s not a very sexy pick. However, it’s a solid pick. He even has an NFL lineage, as his grandfather was an excellent offensive lineman with the 1960s Green Bay Packers. In fact, Bob Skoronski was the starting LT on all 5 Packers World Championship teams and was Offensive Team Captain for Vince Lombardi’s dynasty. Some Bears fans might frown regarding that, but who cares? It’s a good thing. From all accounts, the only question mark with Skoronski is his short arms. Ok fine. It’s like when you see the measurements before a big heavyweight boxing fight. After the guy with the shorter arms TKO’s the other guy, does it matter who has a longer reach? The way I see it, his arms were just as short in major college football for the last three years and he did awesome against excellent Big Ten competition. The scouts say it’s possible his short arms may force him inside to Guard. Ok fine. That’s a decent floor for a lineman who has excellent character, intangibles, and technique. Lindy’s says he “has incredibly polished technique and craftsmanship”…”one of the cleanest resumes of any prospect in the class”… “Potential to play either guard or tackle will be appealing. Technical maestro who will have the polish to start day one in the NFL.” Sign me up for that. I hope Ryan Poles sees the value in Skoronski’s potential. He could be a major building block for this franchise moving forward. You need to have a good offensive line. Five of your 11 starters on offense are linemen. Poles, a former offensive lineman himself, should see that. He better. Even if Poles and his staff think a different lineman is better than Skoronski, that’s fine. It’s possible he likes Paris Johnson/OT/Ohio State or Broderick Jones/OT/Georgia more than the Northwestern product. Overall, the Bears need to build the lines. They need an Offensive Tackle and Pass Rushing Defensive End the most. Let’s start priming the pump with Skoronski.

The rest of Chicago’s ten total selections:

Round 2 (#53 Overall) – Trenton Simpson/OLB/Clemson/6-3 235/Jersey #22/NFL Comparison: Tremaine Edmunds/LB/Chicago Bears (formerly Buffalo) – Simpson has stood out to me from watching him at Clemson for the last three seasons. Right away when I saw Simpson in 2020, I was drawn to his game. He’s exciting, electric, a playmaker. He has extreme athleticism. He is reminiscent of Devin White from LSU/Buccaneers or even Roquan Smith/Georgia/Bears/Ravens. He’s a guy that could play the weakside WILL LB in Head Coach Matt Eberflus’s scheme. He can blitz. He can cover. I really like Simpson and think he’ll be a star in the NFL for somebody. I hope it’s for the Bears. He’ll probably get nabbed before the Bears can reach him at #53, unless Poles pulls off a trade to move up. Please, please draft this young man. He’s going to be a superstar!

Round 2 (#61) – Isaiah Foskey/EDGE/Notre Dame/6-5 265/Jersey #7/NFL Comparison: Chase Young/6-5 264/Washington – Athlon’s says Foskey is a 2nd/3rd Round selection out of Notre Dame but they suggest he “is something of a project. He should bring pass-rush value early but will very likely be adjusting to a slightly different role as a stand-up LB”. I’m surprised because the dude dominated in college. He wreaked havoc over the last two seasons, earning 12.5 TFL’s, 11 Sacks, and 7 QB Hurries in ’21 and 14 TFL’s, 11 Sacks, and 6 QB Hurries in ’22. To me, those numbers and his tape suggest he’ll be an awesome pass rusher. I watch a lot of Notre Dame football and he’s really good. If I were Poles, I’d give him a whirl.

Round 3 (#64) – Jaquelin Roy/DT/LSU/6-3 315/Jersey #99/NFL Comparison: Kenny Clark/DT/Green Bay/6-3 314 – Roy is Lindy’s #6 DT, Athlon’s #8 DT, and DTP’s #6 DT. Roy looks to be a 3 Technique Tackle that can grow in the Bears system. Roy is projected to go in the 3rd Round so he might be a good fit at this #64 overall Selection for Poles. The Bears need Defensive Tackles so badly we think they’ll take two in this Draft out of their ten overall selections. I think they might take one massive space-eater to play Nose Tackle and another smaller 3 Technique player to complement him. (See our 4th Rounder, #133 Overall below)

Round 4 (#103) – Luke Wypler/C/Ohio St./6-3 300/Jersey #53/NFL Comparison: Corey Linsley/C/L.A. Chargers/6-3 301 – Ohio State is an underrated factory that manufactures NFL Centers. Recent examples are Billy Price, Pat Elflein, Josh Myers, Corey Linsley, LeCharles Bentley, and Nick Mangold. I’m hearing rumors that Wypler is an underrated prospect this year as he’s only projecting to go as early as the 3rd Round. He supposedly needs to add strength. It feels like the Bears are unsure of their five best starters on the OL and may want to move Cody Whitehair back to Guard. At this point, if I were Whitehair, I’d wonder what was going on with my future. They have switched him several times back and forth, sometimes even within the same season. Anyway, since letting go of James Daniels, the Iowa Guard, the Bears are still weak in the interior line spots. Let’s get another guy in there to compete with Whitehair, Lucas Patrick, and Nate Davis. At worst, he provides depth. At best, he grabs one of the starting jobs and runs with it.

Round 4 (#133) – Siaki Ika/DT/Baylor/6-4 355/Jersey #62/NFL Comparison: Vita Vea/DT/Tampa Bay/6-4 347/ – Chicago desperately needs some Defensive Tackles to stop NFL running games. Ika is a huge run-stopper, a la Vita Vea of the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Bears need a run-stopper in the worst way. Let’s get a space-eater in there that can throw his weight around the way Akiem Hicks used to do it. Two of my three main sources have Ika ranked higher than the 4th Round so he might be gone by #133 Overall. In a way, I like him more than Roy who we tagged at #64. I wonder how Poles and Eberflus are ranking these guys. Ika is Lindy’s #12 DT, Athlon’s #5 DT, and DTP’s #3 DT. As you can see, there’s a variety here and every player might fit differently in every NFL scheme depending on surrounding players as well. If the Bears could grab both Roy and Ika, I’d be really satisfied.

Round 5 (#136) – Tank Bigsby/RB/Auburn/6-0 215/Jersey #4/NFL Comparison: Josh Jacobs/RB/Las Vegas/5-10 220 – In case you haven’t heard, David Montgomery left Chicago and took his talents up north to Minnesota. He signed with the Vikings. Meanwhile, the Bears have last year’s backup Khalil Herbert, newly signed D’Onta Foreman, Travis Homer, and Trestan Ebner. It might be a good idea to draft another RB that could compete for the starting job. We’ve been watching Tank Bigsby for three years and he’s an exciting talent. His career was solid but unspectacular at Auburn. It always seemed like he was a guy that could breakout yet his surrounding talent and offensive system may have been holding him back. He rushed for 2903 yards and 25 TD’s with a 5.4 ypc average. He also caught 62 passes for 448 yards against tough SEC defenses. Lindy’s has Tank as their #12 RB/4th-5th Round. Athlon’s has him as their #8 RB/3rd-4th Round. DTP ranks Bigsby #10 RB/3rd Round. What I like about Bigsby over many other Backs is his potential to be an every-down player who can catch passes yet also carry the load on 1st and 2nd downs. Rather than drafting a scat-back RB like a Tarik Cohen, it might be more efficient to grab a guy who could compete for the bell-cow starting spot. I believe that Tank could be that player.

Round 5 (#148) – Tre’vius Hodges-Tomlinson/CB/TCU/5-9 180/Jersey #1/NFL Comparison: Kenny Moore/CB/Indianapolis/5-9 190 – Nephew of NFL Hall of Fame RB LaDainian Tomlinson, this cornerback has a chance at NFL glory just like his uncle. Hodges-Tomlinson won last year’s Jim Thorpe Award, so hopefully he’s available at this spot in the Draft. According to Lindy’s, he’s a 4th or 5th rounder as their #18 CB. DTP has him as his 19th best CB, a 4th rounder. Athlon’s has him at #28 CB. His best fit might be as a Slot Corner, which is becoming a more important position year-by-year. He’s really small but might be diamond in the rough, and could provide a better option at Slot Corner so that last year’s top pick Kyler Gordon could slide out to one of the outside corner positions. If Gordon is better at Boundary CB, along with Jaylon Johnson, this would give the Bears three solid cover corners that would all fit in Eberflus’s scheme. It’s hard to argue with giving last year’s NCAA Defensive Back of the Year a chance to help you at the pro level.

Round 7 (#218) – Max Duggan/QB/TCU/6-2 210/NFL Comparison: Sam Ehlinger/QB/Indianapolis/6-1 222 OR Dorian Thompson-Robinson/QB/UCLA/6-1 205/NFL Comparison: Tyler Huntley/QB/Baltimore/6-1 205 – The Bears should take one of these developmental quarterbacks to back up Justin Fields. Both guys are very good, maybe even fantastic running QB’s. They both have experience from years as starting quarterbacks at big-time college programs, and they’re both highly acclaimed leaders. Will either of these signal-callers be available in the 7th Round? Athlon’s has both as 6th or 7th rounders: DTR #11 QB, Duggan #13 QB. Lindy’s has Duggan much higher, as a 4th Rounder, #7 QB, while they rank DTR as their #14 QB, Free Agent. DTP has DTR as his #14 QB, 6th Rounder and Duggan as his #15 QB, 6th Rounder.

Round 7 (#258) – Puka Nacua/WR/BYU/6-2 205/NFL Comparison: Deebo Samual/WR/San Francisco/6-0 215 – 7th Round selections don’t often make the NFL roster, but they are more likely to make the practice squad as rookies. Puka Nacua could be that kind of guy. Give him a chance. He produced at BYU, catching 91 balls for a total of 1430 yards over 21 games over the last two years. We compare him to Deebo because he is so physical and competes for the ball, not because we think he’s as good as Samuel yet but who knows right? One can dream.

The Best Players in the 2023 Draft

• Will Anderson/EDGE/Alabama – Everything adds up to Anderson being a prolific NFL Pro Bowler
• Bijan Robinson/RB/Texas – A special RB that might even get a 2nd contract with the team that drafts him
• Jordan Addison/WR/USC – Makes incredible catches. The next Larry Fitzgerald out of Pitt?
• C.J. Stroud/QB/Ohio St. – He’s close to the prototype
• Trent Simpson/LB/Clemson – Can I say WOW again?
• Michael Mayer/TE/Notre Dame – Another in a long line of excellent ND Tight Ends.
• Jahmyr Gibbs/RB/Alabama – This kid reminds me of Alvin Kamara
• Luke Musgrave/TE/Oregon St. – Oozing with potential
• Jaxon Smith-Njigba/WR/Ohio St. – Made some incredible catches two seasons ago

My Favorite Players in the 2023 Draft

• Garrett Nelson/OLB/EDGE/Nebraska – I love Garrett because he plays with passion. He has so much heart. He was a wrestler, he’s a country farm boy. Somebody needs to take a chance on him.
• Aidan O’Connell/QB/Purdue – Our guy from Stevenson HS, Aidan didn’t quit even though he was a walk-on. He kept working at it. He went to camps. He practiced. He learned the playbook better than anybody else and he had success in Purdue’s pro-style passing offense. What if Aidan is the next Tom Brady?
• Trent Simpson/LB/Clemson – See the “WOW” above.
• Kelee Ringo/CB/Georgia – One of the great moments in college football this century was when Ringo intercepted Bryce Young in the 2021/’22 National Championship game and defied HC Kirby Smart by taking it all the way to the house rather than take a knee. Incredible moment!!!
• Josh Downs/WR/North Carolina – A small dude who loves catching passes.
• Bryant Bresee/DT/Clemson – He lost his sister to cancer. Despite all the distractions, Bresee kept chugging at Clemson. He just looks like a Defensive Lineman.
• Tank Bigsby/RB/Auburn – See above
• Eric Gray/RB/Oklahoma – He usually looked like the best player on his team at both Tennessee and then Oklahoma. He deserves more hype.
• Deuce Vaughn/RB/Kansas St. – One of the athletic freaks in this Draft, Vaughn is fun to watch.
• Trey Palmer/WR/Nebraska – Incredible speed. He put it all together last year at Nebraska, giving Huskers fans a sexy player to cheer for despite another disappointing season with only 4 victories. He set the all-time Nebraska record for receiving yards in a game (237) and season (1043). He ran a 4.33 40 yard dash at the Combine. That was the 3rd fastest overall time (#1 amongst WR’s) at this year’s Combine. That is smokin’!

Biggest Busts in the 2023 Draft

• Jalen Carter/DT/Georgia – Unless he gets his head on straight, he’ll be the feature of an ESPN 30 for 30 movie someday.
• Will Levis/QB/Kentucky – Might be good, but probably not Top 5 good. He eats entire bananas including the peel. Kind of a weirdo.
• Jahleel Billingsley/TE/Texas – Always in the doghouse. Gives little effort. Saban ran him out of ‘Bama. Then he struggled at Texas.
• Tanner McKee/QB/Stanford – Listed as the 5th best QB in this Draft, but he wasn’t even good in school. Had only 62% with 13 TD’s and 8 INT’s last year as his team went 3-9. Ugh sauce! Give me Clayton Tune or Jake Haener over this guy all day.

In Conclusion

OUR DRAFT REVIEW by position (10 picks):

• 5 OFFENSE: 1 QB, 1 RB, 1 WR, 1 OT, 1 C
• 5 DEFENSE: 2 DT’s, 1 EDGE/DE, 1 OLB, 1 CB.

OUR DRAFT REVIEW by player (10 picks):

• Peter Skoronski/OT
• Trent Simpson/OLB
• Isaiah Foskey/EDGE/DE
• Jaquelin Roy/DT
• Luke Wypler/C
• Siaki Ika/DT
• Tank Bigby/RB
• Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson/CB
• Max Duggan/QB or Dorian Thompson-Robinson/QB
• Puka Nacua/WR

If the Chicago Bears take the players I’m suggesting, I think they’ll have a “Jim Finks-like” draft. In other words, that would be a fantastic way to set themselves up for a special group of players heading into their competitive window in 2-5 years. It won’t be hard to improve this roster which was clearly one of the worst, if not THE worst roster in the NFL. Can GM Ryan Poles do enough to push that window ahead to 2023? It’s unlikely, but he seems to be on the right track with his offseason moves and big trades, mainly the Carolina trade for D.J. Moore. Can HC Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff develop Justin Fields into a solid quarterback? Can he be more than solid? Could be be spectacular?… if surrounded by the right teammates? Can Fields be the answer for long-suffering Bears fans who are so hungry for success? We’ll see down the road with those questions. For today, it all starts with drafting complementary players. In this year’s case, it starts at #9 overall. Take an Offensive Tackle like Peter Skoronski.