The Chicago Bears made a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers, where they acquired two first-rounders, two second-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore in exchange for the No. 1 pick.
That includes the No. 9 pick in the 2023 draft, which still puts the Bears in a prime position to land a top prospect. And considering how the first wave of free agency has panned out, it feels like a safe bet that their first pick most likely will be an offensive tackle.
In a new mock draft from The Athletic, Chicago lands one of the best offensive tackles in Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski. Although, there are some who believe he’s better suited at guard given his arm length.
After Wilson didn’t drop, the Bears were sellers with no takers. Keeping Skoronski close to home is a fine consolation prize. Everyone knew about his technical abilities, but at the combine, his athleticism was outstanding as well, an important trait for Chicago’s scheme. Maybe tackle isn’t his long-term position, but considering how important it is to protect against the league’s great three-techniques, I see no harm in using a top-10 pick on someone who could be a Pro Bowl guard. Either way, he has the tools to be a starter for a decade.
Skoronski hails from Park Ridge, Ill., although he didn’t grow up a Bears fan as some other local Bears, including Cole Kmet, Jack Sanborn and new free-agent acquisitions T.J. Edwards and Robert Tonyan. In fact, Skoronski is the grandson of Bob Skoronski, who won five NFL championships as a tackle with the Packers.
There’s a good chance the Bears will have their pick of offensive tackles when it’s their turn to pick at No. 9, where Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. and Georgia’s Broderick Jones are on the board.
