The Chicago Bears have nowhere to go but up in the 2023 season.

After finishing in last place in the NFC North with a 3-14 record, they secured the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft because that performance gave them the worst winning percentage of any team in the league.

Going into the offseason, general manager Ryan Poles was in an advantageous position of the selection spot and because the Bears had more salary-cap room than any other team in the league. Poles ended up trading that top pick to the Carolina Panthers and he was able to secure top wideout D.J. Moore and high-profile draft picks in return.

Unlike most teams that finish at the bottom of the league, the Bears did not need a No. 1 quarterback. The belief in the Windy City is that they have their quarterback of the present and future in Justin Fields. The former Ohio State star has demonstrated brilliant athleticism in his first 2 years in the league and many of the tools needed to be a top quarterback.

However, to this point, Fields has not demonstrated consistency as a passer. He has shown that he is quite likely the best running quarterback in the league and one of the best in NFL history. If the Bears are going to rise from their current position, they need Fields to become a more consistent passer and leader.

But that is not their only need. They have position battles on both sides of the ball and they need the winners of those battles to perform extremely well in the 2023 season.

Starting running back: Khalil Herbert vs. D'Onta Foreman

Running back may have been Chicago's best position last year, but starting running back David Montgomery is now with the Detroit Lions after signing as a free agent.

That left the position to Khalil Herbert but the Bears signed D'Onta Foreman to a free-agent deal, and he is a very competent runner. Foreman took over as the Panthers' No. 1 running back after that team traded superstar Christian McCaffery to the San Francisco 49ers.

Foreman did a solid job after becoming the team's primary running back and the Bears also have plenty of faith in Herbert.

Herbert carried the ball 129 times for 731 yards and also scored 4 touchdowns last year. Foreman was even more productive, gaining 914 yards on 203 carries and scoring 5 touchdowns.

In addition to those two, the Bears also drafted Roschon Johnson out of Texas in the 4th round. Johnson figures to get his share of carries, but the winner of the battle between Herbert and Foreman will be the starting running back.

Strong side linebacker: Jack Sanborn vs. Noah Sewell

Based on the progress he made last year, it would seem that Sanborn has earned the job and that a rookie drafted in the fifth round would not have the skill to take the job away from him.

Sanborn was impressive in last year's training camp, earned snaps along the way and took over as the starter at middle linebacker after Roquan Smith was traded to the Baltimore Ravens. Free agent signee Tremaine Edmunds will be the Bears middle linebacker this season, with Sanborn moving to the strong side.

However, Sanborn was unable to participate in the OTAs due to the late-season ankle injury he suffered last season, and Sewell took over his slot. Sewell flashed speed and hitting ability during the OTAs, and that gives him a puncher's chance. Sanborn is likely to be healthy throughout training camp, and that means Sewell would need to be consistently dominant to take the starting job.

Backup quarterback: P.J. Walker vs. Tyson Bagent

The Bears brought in Walker to serve as Fields' backup because they believe he plays in a similar manner and should be able to step into an emergency situation and follow through by playing a consistent brand of offense. Walker also worked with Moore in Carolina for 3 seasons, and they know each other well.

Walker was not impressive during mincamp and the OTAs. When it came to putting the ball on the money, he needs to show quite a bit of improvement. He certainly has time to improve in training camp.

If he does not, Bagent has a chance to steal the job. He was a star at Division 2 Shepherd, and he has the arm strength to make some difficult throws. However, it would be a huge jump to go from that level to NFL backup.

Nathan Peterman is also on the roster, but he is not a legitimate threat to win games and is unlikely to last through training camp.