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’s a lack of consensus among experts about what the Bears will do at No. 9. While offensive tackle has been the popular pick, there are some intriguing names at edge rusher, wide receiver and cornerback being mentioned as options.
We’ve rounded up the latest 2023 NFL mock drafts, where experts are torn about which direction the Bears could go at ninth overall:
NFL.com: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein has Chicago addressing the pass rush with Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness at ninth overall.
A big-time athletic tester with upside, Van Ness has the potential to play multiple spots along the defensive front. His best football is still ahead of him.
ESPN: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Bears targeting offensive tackle with Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski at No. 9.
The Bears could address the edge rush — perhaps with Van Ness — after closing out the 2022 season at the bottom of the league in sacks. However, they need to maximize quarterback Justin Fields, and that means protecting him. Chicago allowed a sack on 11.5% of dropbacks last season, the highest rate we’ve seen since the Raiders’ 12.6% in 2006. I like the Nate Davis addition at guard, but Teven Jenkins probably isn’t the answer at tackle opposite Braxton Jones. Jenkins is a better fit on the interior. And while there are concerns about Skoronski’s 32¼-inch arm length, his quickness, balance and snap in his hands stand out.
Pro Football Focus: OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Pro Football Focus’ Michael Renner also has Chicago addressing their need at offensive tackle with Tennessee’s Darnell Wright at ninth overall.
Teven Jenkins flourished so much at guard that kicking him back out to tackle would be doing him a disservice. Wright comes as the most experienced right tackle in the draft and gives Chicago a scary offensive line in the run game.
Fox Sports: EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd has the Bears landing a top edge rusher in Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson at No. 9.
Fourteen sacks for this kid over the last two years, and the Bears defense had the fewest sacks and the fewest pressures in the league last season. He is an absolute position of need.
CBS Sports: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso has Chicago going wide receiver at ninth overall with the selection of Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
The Bears are all about maximizing the chances Justin Fields turns into a sure-fire franchise quarterback, so they pick his former Ohio State teammate at receiver.
Sporting News: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer has the Bears prioritizing the offensive line with the addition of Skoronski at No. 9.
The Bears can look up the road to Evanston to provide Justin Fields with a major pass protection upgrade after already getting him a new No. 1 wide receiver in D.J. Moore. Skoronski, who had a great Combine from his running through his smooth positional drills, can deliver as their immediate starting left tackle with his smooth quickness and athleticism on the edge.
Touchdown Wire: CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar has Chicago landing arguably the draft’s top cornerback in Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon at ninth overall.
Receiver and offensive line will be temptations for Bears general manager Ryan Poles with the ninth overall pick, and for good reason. But if Witherspoon is still on the board here, it would be tough to pass him up on a short trip to Halas Hall. Witherspoon may well be the best cornerback in this class, and since Chicago’s cornerback group is a bit undefined beyond second-year man Kyler Gordon, Witherspoon would fill yet another need for this roster very much under development.
Pro Football Network: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Pro Football Network’s Joe Broback has the Bears shoring up pass protection with the selection of Johnson at No. 9.
Anything Chicago can do to help Justin Fields is a priority, and that includes keeping him upright. The Bears allowed 58 sacks last year (fourth-most in the league), and it would have been more if Fields wasn’t a mobile quarterback. For anyone to truly evaluate him, Fields needs time to showcase his arm.
Paris Johnson Jr. could be the first tackle taken, but he slides to Chicago in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft. The Bears need to bolster their offensive line, and Johnson gives them a player that can step in and play right away.
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NBC Sports Chicago: EDGE Nolan Smith, Georgia
NBC Sports Chicago’s Josh Schrock has the Bears addressing the pass rush with Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith at No. 9.
The Bears must inject talent, toughness, grit, and leadership into their defensive line room. Smith is an explosive pass-rusher who is a great run defender and checks all of the H.I.T.S boxes that head coach Matt Eberflus desires. Smith is a versatile defender who can put his hand in the dirt, rush standing up, or drop into coverage.
The 33rd Team: OT Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
The 33rd Team has Chicago getting Fields some help on the offensive line with Johnson at ninth overall.
The Chicago Bears need help on the offensive line, and picking Paris Johnson makes them more athletic on that unit. They should prioritize helping and protecting Justin Fields, and with Johnson, they feel like they are helping the young quarterback hit his stride.
NFL.com: DT Jalen Carter, Georgia
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter falling to the Bears at No. 9.
The Bears need playmakers in the middle of their defense, and Carter’s value is too good to pass up at this point in the draft.
Pro Football Focus: OT Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Pro Football Focus’ Steve Palazzolo has Chicago addressing the offensive line with Skoronski at ninth overall.
With sub-33-inch arms, Skoronski very well may end up a guard for some teams. At tackle, though, he was lights out this past fall. He allowed only six pressures on 474 pass-blocking snaps in his third season as Northwestern’s starting left tackle.
CBS Sports: EDGE Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards has the Bears landing one of the draft’s best edge rushers in Wilson at No. 9.
By trading back from No. 1 overall, Chicago missed on the opportunity to select either Will Anderson Jr. or Jalen Carter. Instead, the Bears take an incredibly long edge rusher with immense potential. The Bears had the worst pass-rush production in the league last season and address it in the first round.
NFL.com: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
NFL.com’s Adam Rank believes Chicago could trade back here. But for the sake of the exercise, Rank believes the Bears should draft Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 9.
If you stay at No. 9, though, take Smith-Njigba. I know, you already traded for D.J. Moore. But you’re not quite complete. You can never have too many great receivers. And if Darnell Mooney or Chase Claypool don’t work out, Smith-Njigba will be ready to go. You will also need to give new contracts to Fields and Moore at some point, and having a receiver on a rookie deal for up to five years would help a lot. (Yes, the offensive line remains a need, but I trust Poles to find another Braxton Jones with one of the three picks he currently has in the range from No. 53 to No. 64 overall.)
CBS Sports: EDGE Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli has the Bears landing a sneaky good edge rusher in Van Ness at No. 9.
My sense with the Bears following free agency is they’re happy enough with what they have on the offensive line and will look to address their defensive line in the first round. Enter Van Ness, who needs to round out his repertoire but reminds me a bit of Robert Quinn (whom the Bears traded to the Eagles during the season).
Bears Wire: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Bears Wire’s Jarrett Bailey has Chicago giving Fields another playmaker in Smith-Njigba at ninth overall.
If the Bears want Justin Fields to take that Jalen Hurts or Josh Allen-type leap, they need to give him as many weapons as possible. A wide receiving core of D.J. Moore, Smith-Njigba, Darnell Mooney, and Chase Claypool would give Fields a buffet of options in the offense.
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 Peter Skoronski: 3
- WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba: 3
- OT Paris Johnson Jr.: 2
- EDGE Tyree Wilson: 2
- EDGE Lukas Van Ness: 2
- DT Jalen Carter: 1
- EDGE Nolan Smith: 1
- CB Devon Witherspoon: 1
- OT Darnell Wright: 1
