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The Chicago Bears finished the 2022 season with a league-worst 3-14 record. Entering the offseason with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they instead opted to shop the pick to the Carolina Panthers for a haul that included dynamic wide receiver DJ Moore. Armed with significant cap space and draft capital, the organization will now try to add the proper pieces that will facilitate the rebuild.
Below is a look at the Bears’ results in the latest PFF seven-round mock draft.
Significant free agency additions
- WR DJ Moore (trade)
- LB Tremaine Edmunds
- LB TJ Edwards
- OG Nate Davis
- DL DeMarcus Walker
Significant free agency losses
- RB David Montgomery
- LB Nicholas Morrow
- OT Riley Reiff
Bears 7-round mock draft
Round 1: No. 9 (from CAR) — Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa
Round 2: No. 53 (from BAL) — Matthew Bergeron, OT, Syracuse
Round 3: No. 64 — Luke Wypler, C, Ohio State
Round 3: No. 70 (from LV) — Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State
Round 4: No. 103 — Zacch Pickens, DL, South Carolina
Round 4: No. 133 (from PHI) — Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State
Round 5: No. 136 — Riley Moss, CB, Iowa
Round 5: No. 144 (from LV): YaYa Diaby, Edge, Louisville
Round 5: No. 148 (from NE) — Chase Brown, RB, Illinois
Round 6: No. 204 (from LV): Charlie Jones, WR, Purdue
Round 7: No. 218 — Jay Ward, CB, LSU
Round 7: No. 258 — Hunter Luepke, FB, North Dakota State
Analysis
Chicago’s primary concern is bolstering both lines and that gets addressed with four of its first five selections. Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness has been a fast-rising draft prospect since the NFL Scouting Combine and PFF has the Bears taking him with the No. 9 pick. They used Day 2 to focus on the offensive line with Syracuse’s Matthew Bergeron and Ohio State’s Luke Wypler. South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft also sneaks into the third.
Other notable selections include Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed being selected in the fourth round and Illinois running back Chase Brown going in the fifth. Brown was the fourth leading rusher in college football in 2022 and it would make sense for the team to go a few hours south to Champaign, IL, and pluck him.