The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for two first-rounders, two second-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore.
While Chicago isn’t in the top spot anymore, they’re in a prime position at ninth overall to land an impact player to help bolster the roster.
In the latest round of NFL mock drafts, there seems to be a consensus among most experts that the Bears will use their first selection on an offensive tackle. But other options include defensive tackle, edge rusher and wide receiver.
We’ve rounded up the latest 2023 NFL mock drafts, where Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. is the overwhelming favorite at ninth overall.
NFL.com: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
NFL.com’s Charles Davis has Chicago landing Northwestern offensive lineman Peter Skoronski at ninth overall.
With the Bears putting their full faith in QB Justin Fields, it’s up to GM Ryan Pace to continue surrounding him with talent. The local big-time prospect out of Northwestern fits the bill, whether he lines up at tackle or guard.
The Athletic: OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
The Athletic’s Diante Lee has the Bears drafting Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 9 pick.
Though Johnson is off the board, there’s no shortage of tackles for Chicago as it tries to build an offense around Justin Fields. Braxton Jones was a huge find for GM Ryan Poles, and Wright would give Chicago a huge pair of bookends to move bodies in the run game and set up a vertical, play-action passing attack.
Wright may have been my favorite player to watch in the pre-draft process because he moves with an explosiveness and agility that belies his 333-pound frame. As with Johnson, there’s still some improvement needed in pass protection — especially since Wright doesn’t have the same kind of length as Johnson — but he’s a clean prospect who can play on the left or right side.
Pro Football Focus: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger has Chicago selecting Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. with the ninth pick.
After the first few waves of free agency, one thing seems certain: Whether offense or defense, this Bears pick will be a trench player. Johnson is a versatile offensive lineman with the size and athleticism to play on the inside or at tackle, with his 36 1/4-inch arms landing in the 97th percentile among tackles.
The former Ohio State teammate of Bears quarterback Justin Fields started in 2021 at right guard before moving to left tackle, but he’s a perfect fit in this scheme wherever Chicago ultimately puts him, with great movement skills at the second level for Chicago’s outside-zone rushing attack. Johnson’s 85.5 run-blocking grade on outside-zone runs in 2022 ranked sixth among FBS tackles, and that was at a new position on the other side of the offensive line. If he can get more consistent and continue to develop in both facets, he’s the exact type of tackle that Chicago’s new brass covets.
CBS Sports: WR Jordan Addison, USC
CBS Sports’ Will Brinson has the Bears landing a playmaker for Justin Fields in USC wide receiver Jordan Addison at No. 9.
How could Bears fans possibly be upset at Ryan Poles for getting Justin Fields help?! This feels like a good start to that…
Fox Sports: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
Fox Sports’ Joel Klatt has Chicago landing Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the ninth overall selection.
Now you’re getting to a spot at the draft where the [Bears] are like, ‘So we can trade out of No. 1, get a ton of picks to build our roster, and still come away with what many people think is the best player in the draft.’ … Sign me up. I think the Bears take Jalen Carter.
“There are a lot of red flags to Jalen Carter, his talent might outweigh the red flags for some organizations, and he might very well be picked [earlier], but you look at how this process has gone for him, and it has not gone well.
Sporting News: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer has the Bears shoring up the offensive line with the addition of Johnson with the No. 9 pick.
The Bears can simply pivot from local in Skoronski to further out in the Big Ten to provide Justin Fields with a major pass protection upgrade after already getting him a new No. 1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore. They should like Johnson’s combination of power and and athleticism to keep up their strong run blocking while also helping to keep Fields upright.
NFL.com: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
NFL.com’s Rhett Lewis has Chicago getting protection for Fields with the selection of Skoronski at ninth overall.
The Bears clearly signaled their intention to build around Justin Fields as their QB1 when they traded out of the first pick. So, how do you best support the third-year signal-caller? With playmakers and protectors. They got the former in the trade with Carolina, adding an established stud in receiver D.J. Moore. Now they snag the latter, picking the best offensive lineman in this class in Skoronski. Staying in the state of Illinois, the Northwestern product offers position versatility along the line, giving Chicago flexibility in simply getting its best five players out in front of Fields.
Pro Football Network: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Pro Football Focus’ Ben Brown has Chicago adding one of the top offensive tackles in Johnson with the ninth pick.
According to DraftKings, only two other teams are more likely to select a certain position.
The draft going in this direction is a dream setup for the Bears, who would have their pick of the big four offensive linemen in this draft class. The betting market has recently moved to Paris Johnson Jr. being the first offensive lineman selected, with the Ohio State star moving to a 58.3% implied probability in the past 24 hours.
CBS Sports: OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso has the Bears adding help on the offensive line in Wright with the No. 9 pick.
In this scenario, the Bears are content with adding a secondary receiving option on Day Two but adore the plug-and-plug capabilities of Wright.
Pro Football Network: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Pro Football Network’s Tony Pauline has Chicago upgrading at left tackle with Johnson at ninth overall.
The Bears decided Justin Fields is their future and secured a big-time receiver, DJ Moore, in trading the first pick to Carolina. They now have to protect Fields’ blind side, and Paris Johnson Jr. is a big-time left tackle prospect.
Yardbarker: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Yardbarker’s Seth Trachtman has the Bears protecting Fields’ blindside with the selection of Johnson at No. 9.
Chicago addressed their wide receiver corps after trading the first overall pick, but still need to protect Justin Fields’ blindside. Johnson could be an answer at either tackle spot next year.
College Wire: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
College Wire’s Patrick Conn has one of the draft’s top prospects in Carter falling into Chicago’s laps at ninth overall.
Carter has been projected to Chicago dating back to when they had the No. 1 pick. However, his off field issues as well as his weight will likely cause him to slide into their laps at No. 9 overall.
For The Win: OT Broderick Jones, Georgia - TRADE!
For The Win’s Christian D’Andrea has the Bears trading the No. 9 pick to the Jets, where Chicago moves back four spots and lands the No. 13 pick, No. 112 pick (fourth round) and 2024 third-round selection.
The Bears traded back twice and still landed a top three offensive tackle to keep Justin Fields upright. In this case, they opt for the high ceiling of Jones over the steady production of local product Peter Skoronski. If Chicago feels like Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins can handle tackle duties, maybe they’d roll with Skoronski at an interior spot and potential swing tackle. But since that seems … unlikely, the UGA blindside watchdog gets the call.
Jones is still growing as a blocker but spent the last two seasons protecting Stetson Bennett en route to back-to-back national titles. He may be the most athletic tackle in his class and would be a valuable running mate alongside Fields’ scramble-heavy dropbacks. He can get out in space and clear the field, which is exactly what the Bears need.
Bears Wire: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Bears Wire’s Jarrett Bailey has Chicago landing a playmaker in Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at ninth overall.
Vikings Wire: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Vikings Wire’s Tyler Forness has the Bears landing arguably the best tackle in this draft with Johnson at No. 9.
The Bears need to create their best five on the offensive and getting a high-upside left tackle with the ability to kick inside is the play here with Johnson Jr. He played right guard for the Buckeyes in 2021 and was a star at his natural position of left tackle in 2022. This is a home run for the Bears in both year one and long-term.
Patriots Wire: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Patriots Wire’s Cam Garrity has Chicago landing arguably the best offensive lineman in this draft class with the ninth overall pick.
After trading out of No. 1 overall, and also grabbing a high-end receiver in the deal, the Bears are in a solid spot at No. 9 overall to improve the offensive line around Justin Fields.
Skoronski is the best offensive lineman in the class for many people, and although my top lineman, Paris Johnson, is available, the Bears opt to add Skoronski, who is plug-and-play at either tackle or guard.
Football Outsiders: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
Football Outsiders’ Benjamin Robinson has the Bears shoring up their defensive line with the selection of Carter at No. 9 overall.
Georgia’s Jalen Carter was supposed to be the crown jewel of the Bulldogs’ back-to-back championship-winning teams, even eclipsing Travon Walker from the 2022 draft in terms of upside. Off-the-field issues didn’t scare Kansas City from talented players when Ryan Poles was there, and it won’t scare Chicago either. Carter could become Poles’ own Chris Jones.
NBC Sports Edge: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
NBC Sports Edge’s Eric Froton has Chicago landing a top edge rusher in Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness with the ninth pick.
The major pain point for the Bears is clearly defensive line play, though I could also envision them investing in a right tackle to help keep Justin Fields clean. With additional selections at 52, 61 and 64 overall, Chicago will be able to address multiple positions of need in the late second round as well. Accordingly, I think Chicago adds havoc-creating base defensive end Lukas Van Ness (6’5/272) into their rebuilding 4-3 front. A DE selection by the Bears would net a tidy (+200) return, as they are (-180) favorites to select an offensive lineman.
The Consensus
Most experts are divided about what the Bears will do with the ninth overall pick, where everything from offensive tackle to edge rusher to wide receiver to cornerback to defensive tackle is on the board. Skoronski and Smith-Njigba were the most popular options.
- OT Paris Johnson Jr.: 6
- DT Jalen Carter: 3
- OT Peter Skoronski: 3
- OT Darnell Wright: 2
- WR Jordan Addison: 1
- OT Broderick Jones: 1
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 1
- EDGE Lukas Van Ness: 1
