The 2023 NFL draft is officially in the books, and the Chicago Bears came out of it with some promising prospects.
General manager Ryan Poles made some moves to shore up the roster, which started before the draft when he traded the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers for two first-rounders, two second-rounders and wide receiver DJ Moore.
But focusing specifically on the draft class, Poles filled some important needs with offensive tackle Darnell Wright, defensives tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. He also added some weapons for quarterback Justin Fields in running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Tyler Scott. Poles also found some great value picks in linebacker Noah Sewell, cornerback Terell Smith, defensive tackle Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for the Bears’ draft class from various media outlets, where experts were impressed by Poles’ sneaky-good additions.
USA Today Sports
USA Today’s Nate Davis praised Poles for a solid draft, where he addressed the team’s biggest needs.
It wasn’t sexy – three of the their top four picks were linemen, most notably first-round OT Darnell Wright – and GM Ryan Poles might ultimately regret the midseason deal for Claypool, which cost him the top pick of the second round. But this was probably the draft Chicago needed to bulwark a talent-deficient roster around QB Justin Fields – and don’t forget the package from Carolina for the No. 1 pick also brought WR1 DJ Moore, who’s under contract for the next three years.
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NFL.com’s Chad Reuter is a fan of what Poles did with the first overall pick, and the draft class that resulted.
Chicago received a bounty from the Panthers for the No. 1 pick, then traded down one spot in the first round while still getting the lineman it needed in Wright. Dexter and Pickens bolster the defensive line when on their game and Stevenson could start as a rookie. The value of trading a second-rounder for receiver Chase Claypool is to be determined.
Johnson looks like a power back but can avoid defenders as well as run through their tackle attempts. Scott’s agility and burst after the catch made him a nice fourth-round find. Sewell is a much better football player than his fifth-round status might indicate. Smith has the athleticism and cover skills to contribute as a rookie.
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