The Chicago Bears have had a busy offseason, working to improve the team following their historic 3-14 run during the 2022 season during general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus’ first year with the team. Now going into Year 2, Poles and Eberflus are working to get the Bears back to relevancy and build a foundation that will eventually lead to postseason success.
Following their free agency frenzy, the Bears are setting their sights towards the 2023 NFL draft, which is quickly approaching. After initially winding up with the No. 1 overall pick, the Bears moved down to No. 9 following a lucrative trade with the Carolina Panthers. They will look to shore up certain positions such as offensive tackle and defensive line that still have glaring holes.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the NFL draft. First up is quarterback, which is set for the foreseeable future with Justin Fields.
Who's on the roster?
- Justin Fields
- P.J. Walker
- Nathan Peterman
Fields enters his third season as a pro and second as the Bears starting quarterback. He made strides during his sophomore season in 2022, making electrifying plays both on the ground and through the air, but still needs to play with more consistency in his third season. That being said, he has the keys to what should be an improved offense in 2023.
Behind Fields is Walker as the backup quarterback. Walker signed a two-year deal in free agency after spending the last three years with the Carolina Panthers. His style of play should benefit the offense if Fields were to miss time as the two of them can run the offense similarly. The third-string option is Peterman, who just re-signed within the last week. It’s too early to tell if he will stick with the team when the regular season begins.
Who departed this offseason?
- Trevor Siemian
When Walker signed with the Bears, it was the writing on the wall that Siemian’s days were numbered in Chicago. Siemian signed a two-year deal last offseason to be the team’s primary backup. He started one game in place of Fields, a 29-13 loss against the New York Jets. But an oblique injury ended his season shortly after his start. He’s still a free agent as of this posting.
Positional need: Low
When the Bears landed the No. 1 overall pick at the end of the 2022 season, there was some talk they should be interested in one of the top quarterbacks coming out of college. Those rumblings were put to rest when Poles traded down with the Panthers, taking them out of any quarterback sweepstakes. The team is riding with Fields, who very likely would have been the top quarterback prospect had he come out with this year’s group.
The Bears already made significant moves that show their commitment to Fields, particularly with moving down in the draft and acquiring wide receiver D.J. Moore in the process. He’s the starting quarterback in 2023 and it’s very unlikely they invest any sort of high draft pick in the position.
Top draft prospects
- C.J. Stroud
- Bryce Young
- Will Levis
- Anthony Richardson
The Bears aren’t interested in any of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft, but the same can’t be said for plenty of other teams. The Panthers already moved up to select their guy and teams like the Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Las Vegas Raiders are interested as well. This year’s class is head and shoulders above the 2022 draft class, which should make for an interesting first round.
2023 NFL draft position preview
| Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver |
| Tight end | Offensive line | Interior defensive line |
| Edge rusher | Linebacker | Cornerback |
| Safety | Specialists |
