While they traded down from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears still have plenty of selections to work with. In fact, the Bears will make 10 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft as they look to improve their roster.
The Bears know they have a lot of work to do. They earned the No. 1 overall pick after finishing the season with a 3-14 record. They'll enter the 2023 NFL Draft with plenty of holes to fill, but there's optimism that a major haul could lay the foundation for the next successful era of Bears football.
Ryan Poles and company will be looking to find the greatest value each round. Whether they start day one or need time to develop, each selection Poles makes in his first draft with the Bears will be under a microscope.
Chicago might not be on the clock when the NFL Draft starts, but the Bears have plenty of opportunities to make some noise at this year's event. On the eve of the draft, let's go through our final 7-round NFL Mock Draft for the Bears.
Chicago Bears: 2023 NFL Mock Draft
1st round 9th overall pick: DL Jalen Carter
At one point, Georgia's Jalen Carter was in consideration to be the first defender taken on the board. However, his recent racing and reckless driving charges have seen him slip a bit. Which gives the Bears an opportunity to pounce.
Chicago ranked 29th in total defense, allowing 375.9 yards per game. Carter was an All-American and named First-team All-SEC in 2022. While other teams look the other way after his arrest, the Bears can land a steal.
2nd round 53rd overall pick: WR Marvin Mims
In their trade with the Panthers, the Bears acquired wide receiver DJ Moore. They still have Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. However, Chicago could still use some added receiver help. No WR on the Bears broke 500 receiving yards this past season.
Marvin Mims is a true burner, running a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He had 2,398 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns in three years at Oklahoma. Adding Mims would give the Bears some needed speed in their WR.
2nd round 61st overall pick: OT Warren McClendon
The Bears addressed part of their offensive line when they signed guard Nate Davis. Still, Chicago has a clear need at the left tackle position. While he struggled with injuries at times, Teven Jenkins is currently locked in at RT.
McClendon started 15 games for Georgia and was named First-team All-SEC in 2022. He's a bit of a raw prospect, but has plenty of potential the Bears should be interested in.
3rd round 64th overall pick: C Luke Wypler
But Chicago won't stop at one offensive lineman. The Bears gave up 58 sacks this past season, the fourth most in the NFL. While Lucas Patrick is currently poised to start at center, the Bears could look for a different option after he missed 10 games this past season.
Luke Wypler started 32 games with Ohio State over the past two seasons. He was Third-team All-Big Ten in 2022. Wypler is a center on the rise and the Bears could look to continue his development in Chicago.
4th round 103rd overall pick: CB Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson
The Bears have two young cornerbacks in Jaylen Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Both have impressed at times in Chicago. But after ranking a middling 17th in pass defense – allowing 218.6 yards per game – the Bears could look to boost their secondary.
Standing 5'9″ Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson is a bit shorter than the average CB. However, he was a dog during his four years with TCU, racking up 125 tackles, 36 passes defended and five interceptions. The Bears could use his play-making ability in their secondary.
4th round 133rd overall pick: DT Keanu Benton
While the Bears used their first overall pick on Carter, Chicago is still in desperate need of defensive line help. While he might not be as impactful as Carter, Keanu Benton would give the Bears the defensive line depth they desire.
Benton spent four years with Wisconsin. He made 81 tackles – 19 for a loss – and nine sacks. After earning All-Big Ten honors the past two seasons, the Bears could look to develop Benton behind Carter for their new look DL.
5th round 136th overall pick: RB Zach Evans
The Bears lost David Montgomery to the Detroit Lions this offseason. While they have Khalil Herbert and D'Onta Foreman, Chicago should look towards the future of the RB position.
Evans, who was a five-star recruit, originally committed to TCU. However, he transferred to Ole Miss as a senior and ran for career-highs in yards (936) and touchdowns (9). With Foreman on a one-year deal, Evans could be his eventual replacement.
5th round 148th overall pick: EDGE Habakkuk Baldonado
Back to the defensive line. Alongside their inability to stop opposing offense, the Bears also struggled at getting to the quarterback. Chicago ranked last in the entire NFL, racking up just 20 sacks.
Habakkuk Baldonado spent five years at Pittsburgh. He made 15 sacks during that span, including a career-high nine in 2021. In the fifth round, he may not be a day one starter. But Baldonado has the pass-rushing chops the Bears need.
7th round 218th overall pick: DT Keondre Coburn
By the seventh round, every pick is essentially a lottery ticket. Because of that, the Bears should look to focus on their biggest need and see if they can hit on a dart throw. Even with all their picks thus far, Chicago's DL is a clear work in progress.
Keondre Coburn has plenty of experience, playing 50 games for Texas. He made 94 tackles – 14 a loss – and 5.5 sacks. He'd be a decent investment for Chicago to invest in late in the NFL Draft.
7th round 258th overall pick: EDGE Thomas Incoom
The Bears finish their draft with an edge rusher. Baldonado won't fix Chicago's pass-rushing woes by himself.
Thomas Incoom broke onto the scene in 2022 with Central Michigan. Over 12 games, the edge rusher racked up 57 tackles – 19 for a loss – and an impressive 11.5 sacks. The Bears could do well to land a player with Incoom's pass-rushing potential with the second-to-last pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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