The 2023 NFL draft is in the books, and the Chicago Bears are gearing up for the next stage of their offseason before breaking for the summer.
General manager Ryan Poles focused primarily on defense, which makes sense given the number of holes. In all, Chicago added three defensive tackles, two cornerbacks, one offensive tackle, one running back, one wide receiver, one linebacker and one safety.
Poles has garnered praise for a solid draft. While his draft class didn’t feature any sexy picks, it addressed the team’s biggest needs and got great value on the third day of the draft.
Following the NFL draft and rookie minicamp, here’s a look at our early 53-man roster projection for the Bears, which features plenty of rookies.
Quarterback (2)
- Justin Fields
- PJ Walker
Fields is entering a pivotal third season with the Bears, where the expectation is he takes a step forward in the passing game. The team signed Walker to serve as Fields’ backup and released Trevor Siemian shortly after.
Running back (5)
- Khalil Herbert
- D’Onta Foreman
- Roschon Johnson
- Travis Homer
- Khari Blasingame
The Bears overhauled the running back room after David Montgomery exited in free agency. They signed Foreman and Homer in free agency and drafted Johnson in the fourth round, and Johnson should challenge for reps with Herbert and Foreman. The team also re-signed fullback Blasingame to a two-year deal.
Wide receiver (6)
- DJ Moore
- Chase Claypool
- Darnell Mooney
- Tyler Scott
- Equanimeous St. Brown
- Velus Jones Jr.
The Bears upgraded their wide receiver group with the addition of Moore, who was part of the trade for the No. 1 pick with the Panthers. Now, Chicago’s top wideouts include Moore, Mooney and Claypool, as well as Jones and St. Brown. In the fourth round of the draft, they selected Scott, a speedster who should be a vertical threat.
Tight end (3)
- Cole Kmet
- Robert Tonyan
- Stephen Carlson
Kmet is coming off a career year with the Bears, where he was a big part of the passing game. Chicago signed Tonyan to a one-year deal in free agency, where he’ll serve as a nice complement to Kmet. Tonyan is more of a receiver than a blocker, and he should factor into the red zone approach.
Offensive line (9)
- Braxton Jones
- Teven Jenkins
- Cody Whitehair
- Nate Davis
- Darnell Wright
- Lucas Patrick
- Larry Borom
- Alex Leatherwood
- Doug Kramer
The starting offensive line is set following the draft, where they selected Wright with their first pick. He fills the hole at right tackle, and it appears that Whitehair will be the guy at center after the team didn’t address the position in the draft.
Edge rusher (4)
- DeMarcus Walker
- Trevis Gipson
- Rasheem Green
- Dominique Robinson
The Bears still have some work to do at edge rusher, after not drafting one, and they could turn to free agency to add a veteran. The group is headlined by Walker, Gipson, Green and Robinson.
Interior defensive line (5)
- Justin Jones
- Andrew Billings
- Gervon Dexter
- Zacch Pickens
- Travis Bell
Chicago added some solid options along the defensive interior in the draft with Dexter and Pickens, who will be key rotational pieces with Jones and Billings.
Linebacker (5)
- Tremaine Edmunds
- T.J. Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- Noah Sewell
- Dylan Cole
The Bears overhauled the linebacker position and free agency, and the team’s starting linebackers are set with Edwards and Edmunds. But the team landed a potential steal in Sewell, who could challenge Sanborn for the SAM role.
Cornerback (7)
- Jaylon Johnson
- Kyler Gordon
- Tyrique Stevenson
- Kindle Vildor
- Terell Smith
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
The Bears found a quality third cornerback in Stevenson, who they traded up for in the second round of the draft. He’ll join Johnson and Gordon in the defensive backfield. Smith, a fifth-round selection, should serve as key depth behind Johnson.
Safety (4)
- Eddie Jackson
- Jaquan Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- Kendall Williamson
There’s no doubt that Jackson and Brisker will lead a strong safety group for Chicago. While DeAndre Houston-Carson remains unsigned, that could mean an increased role for Hicks in his second season. The Bears also drafted Williamson late in the seventh round.
Specialists (3)
- Cairo Santos
- Trenton Gill
- Patrick Scales
The Bears re-signed Scales to a one-year deal to keep their special teams trio in tact heading into 2023. Chicago has consistency with their core specialists in Santos, Gill and Scales, who are heading into their second year together.
