It’s been nearly 40 years since the iconic 1985 Bears won the Super Bowl. While that team continues to be revered by Bears loyalists, rest assured that the fan base wants nothing more than for the franchise to field another team that can stand beside that team as a world champion.
Chicago has come close to producing another champion. The 2006 Bears made it back to the Super Bowl before falling to Peyton Manning and the Colts. Led by Brian Urlacher, Chicago was on the cusp of another Super Bowl berth in 2010 before getting tripped up — literally — against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The late 2010s Bears were competitive but ultimately were unable to win the franchise’s second title.
The Bears are two years into their rebuild after parting ways with many of the key players who were responsible for the team’s last postseason appearance. While there are still many holes to fill, the Bears have filled a major one at quarterback with Justin Fields, whose second season was good enough to convince Chicago’s brass that he is the longterm solution.
The 2023 NFL Draft is a critical one for the Bears and Ryan Poles, who is entering his second year as general manager. Here’s what the Poles and Co. can do during the draft to further improve a Bears team that is hoping to be much better than last year’s 3-14 outfit.
Before we do, here’s a reminder of what draft picks the Bears currently own.
Bears 2023 draft picks
Round 1, No. 1 overall
Round 2, No. 56 overall (from Ravens)
Round 3, No. 65 overall
Round 4, No. 103 overall
Round 4, No. 134 overall (from Eagles)
Round 5, No. 136 overall
Round 5, No. 148/159 overall (from Ravens)*
*Unconfirmed whether the Ravens’ fifth-round pick is their own (159) or the one from the Patriots (148).
Keep the No. 1 overall pick
Ask the Lions how happy they are after keeping the No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. Instead of trading out of the pick, Detroit selected a defensive cornerstone in Aidan Hutchinson, who racked up 9.5 sacks and three forced fumbles during his rookie season.
The Bears literally have their choice of the best players available in the upcoming draft, and it would be wise of them to use it. Chicago, after all, hasn’t had the No. 1 overall pick since 1947, and there’s no telling when the Bears will again be in a similar position.
Not every one has turned out to be a stud, but the list of former No. 1…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CBSSports.com Headlines…