As a lead-up to the 2023 NFL draft, we've broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Chicago Bears.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2023 NFL Draft hub.
Who did the Bears pick in the NFL Draft?
The Chicago Bears selected Darnell Wright (OT, Tennessee) with the 10th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Bears added Gervon Dexter (DL, Florida) with the 53rd pick and Tyrique Stevenson (CB, Miami) with the No. 56 pick.
Chicago drafted Zacch Pickens (DL, South Carolina) with the No. 64 pick.
Bears Draft Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2023
- Offensive Line
- Defensive Line
- Cornerback
What Picks do the Chicago Bears have in 2023?
The Chicago Bears have 10 picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (9)
- Round 2 (53)
- Round 2 (61)
- Round 3 (64)
- Round 4 (103)
- Round 4 (133)
- Round 5 (136)
- Round 5 (148)
- Round 7 (218)
- Round 7 (258)
Chicago Bears Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Bears Sharp Draft Value Rank: 5 of 32 teams
- Bears AV Model Draft Value Rank: 6 of 32 teams
- Bears OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 5 of 32 teams
Chicago Bears Draft Value vs Other Teams:
The Bears' draft value is 33% higher than the league average of all 32 teams. Just four other teams have higher draft value entering the 2023 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears Draft Prediction:
The Bears are predicted to draft Broderick Jones (OT, Georgia) with their 1st round pick (#9 overall) according to the most recent mock draft from Ryan McCrystal.
Another mock draft expert, Brendan Donahue, has the Bears predicted to draft Peter Skoronski (OL, Northwestern) with their 1st round pick according to his most recent mock draft.
Chicago Bears Strength of Schedule, 2023
The Chicago Bears have the fifth easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2023 NFL season.
Chicago Bears Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Michael Hauff breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Chicago Bears, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Chicago Bears Offensive Rankings
Quarterback Depth Chart, Bears:
- Justin Fields
- P.J. Walker
- Nathan Peterman
The speculation on whether or not Justin Fields was the starting quarterback ended when the Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers.
From his rookie season to his second season, Fields improved some of his passing numbers.
Fields had an adjusted completion percentage of 71.7, an increase of 4.8% since his rookie season, and increased his touchdown passes from seven in his rookie season to 17 in 2022.
It was also encouraging to see FIelds’ expected point added (EPA) rise throughout the 2022 season.
From Weeks 1 through 6, Fields’ EPA per play ranked 26th among qualifying quarterbacks. From Week 7 on, Fields ranked 17th.
It should come as no surprise that a large part of his success in that EPA upswing was his rushing.
Fields finished last season with 1,143 rushing yards, the seventh-best mark among any player in the NFL. Included within those rushing yards were 33 runs of 10 yards or more.
P.J. Walker and Nathan Peterman will serve as backups, but as long as Fields continues to progress in the passing game, Chicago’s starter will continue to ascend up the league ranks.
Running Back Depth Chart, Bears:
- Khalil Herbert
- D’Onta Foreman
- Travis Homer
- Trestan Ebner
- Khari Blasingame (FB)
After leading the Bears in rushing over the last four seasons, David Montgomery left the team in free agency for the Detroit Lions.
Filling that void will be necessary as the Bears relied heavily on their running game last season, ranking third with an average of 32.8 rushing attempts per game. They ran on first down 53.24% of the time, the highest mark in the league.
The Bears began addressing that void by signing D’Onta Foreman in free agency.
On top of tallying a career-high five touchdowns last season, Foreman also excelled at extending plays. The new Bears running back forced 34 missed tackles on runs and averaged 3.26 yards after contact.
While Montgomery led the Bears in rushing last season, the returning Khalil Herbert was not far behind.
Herbert possesses a game-breaking ability. He averaged 5.7 yards per attempt in 2022, the fourth-best mark in football.
If there is a need beyond just depth at the running back position, it is in their passing game.
While displaying an impressive 82.1 career catch percentage, Herbert has been targeted just 28 times in his first seasons. Foreman hasn’t fared much better as he has seen 31 passing targets in five seasons.
Travis Homer or Trestan Ebner could take on that role, or the Bears look to add that player via the draft.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Bears:
- DJ Moore
- Darnell Mooney
- Chase Claypool
- Equanimeous St. Brown
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Nsimba Webster
- Daurice Fountain
- Joe Reed
While the number one overall pick served as the centerpiece in the Bears and Panthers trade back in March, everyone was talking about the acquisition of DJ Moore.
It has been no secret the Bears have been starved for a premier wide receiver. Last season, the most targeted pass catcher for Chicago tallied 79 targets. Over his last four seasons, Moore has averaged 133.5 targets.
The hope here is that Moore and a slew of draft picks will lead to a higher passing volume in Chicago. The Bears ranked last in 2022 with an average of 22.2 pass attempts per game.
There was only one pass catcher in Chicago last season that had a game with more than 10 targets. That player was Darnell Mooney.
Mooney led Bears wide receivers with 493 receiving yards last season. More importantly, he is the team's primary slot receiver with 60.5% of his routes coming from the slot position.
Along with depth at the position, Chase Claypool serves as a question mark for the Bears.
The Bears sent a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for Claypool in the middle of last season. The return on investment was less than stellar.
In his seven games as a member of the Bears, Claypool failed to score a touchdown and had a catch percentage of 48.3%.
There are enough draft picks for the Bears where if a wide receiver of value falls to them, Claypool could wind up on the proverbial hot seat.
Tight End Depth Chart, Bears:
- Cole Kmet
- Robert Tonyan
- Chase Allen
- Jake Tonges
After failing to score a touchdown in the year prior, Cole Kmet had a career-high seven touchdown receptions in 2022.
While the majority of Kmet’s receptions came in short-distance situations, the tight end showed a propensity to extend plays.
On short-distance passing plays, Kmet tallied 149 yards after the catch. That helped propel him to 27 first downs.
This offseason saw the Bears add some depth to the position as they added former Packer Robert Tonyan.
After tying for the league lead in tight end touchdowns with 11 back in 2020, Tonyan has dealt with injuries and a statistically quiet two seasons.
All of that aside, the addition of Tonyan adds more respectable depth to the position.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Bears:
LT: Braxton Jones/Larry Borom
LG: Cody Whitehair/Dieter Eiselen
C: Lucas Patrick/Doug Kramer
RG: Nate Davis/Ja’Tyre Carter
RT: Teven Jenkins/Alex Leatherwood/Kellen Diesch
The offensive line is the biggest position of need on offense heading into the draft.
On top of a lack of top-graded talent and depth, it was almost impossible for the Bears to have any sort of continuity as a unit.
Last season, Chicago’s most frequent offensive line combination was on the field for just 17.1% of their offensive snaps. That rate of most used was 31st in the NFL, only ahead of the Rams (10.9%).
Over the last two seasons, the Bears have allowed the highest sack percentage in the NFL including 13.33% in 2022. Their pass blocking efficiency of 82.5 was the fourth lowest in the NFL.
Braxton Jones had a particularly tough time last season, allowing 29 quarterback hurries.
Cody Whitehair is one of the bright spots along the offensive line.
While playing in 12 games in 2022, Whitehair ranked third among offensive guards in ESPN’s run block win rate at 77%.
With six picks in the first four rounds, the Bears have an opportunity to make some franchise altering additions to their offensive line.
Chicago Bears Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Michael Hauff breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Chicago Bears, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
2022 Chicago Bears Defensive Rankings
Interior Defensive Line Depth Chart, Bears:
- Andrew Billings
- Justin Jones
- Donovan Jeter
- Andrew Brown
The interior was already provided a much needed upgrade when the Bears added Andrew Billings this offseason, a welcomed addition for a defense that allowed the second-most rushing yards in 2022.
Billings is well-known for his ability to clog the middle of the offensive line and slow down the interior run game. He ranked seventh among all defensive tackles in ESPN’s run stop win rate (41%) last season.
Working alongside Billings is Justin Jones.
In his first season with the Bears, Jones accounted for 28 defensive stops and set career-highs in sacks (3), hurries (19), and batted passes (4).
If there’s an issue in terms of the interior defensive line it is the lack of depth.
After Billings and Jones, the team has Donovan Jeter and Andrew Brown listed on the depth chart.
The combination of Jeter and Brown combined for just six games played and two tackles in 2022.
EDGE Depth Chart, Bears:
- Trevis Gipson
- DeMarcus Walker
- Rasheem Green
- Dominique Robinson
- Gerri Green
- Terrell Lewis
- Kuony Deng
- Jalyn Holmes
The edge rushers are highlighted by Trevis Gipson.
Despite finishing last year with three sacks, seven fewer than the year prior, Gipson finished sixth in DE/OLB run stop win rate. He has been credited with 36 stops over the last two seasons.
On the other side of the defensive line sits one of the Bears' free agency additions, DeMarcus Walker.
Walker has recorded 30 or more total pressures in each of the last two seasons and had a career-high 8 sacks for the Titans last season.
The Bears also signed Rasheem Green this offseason, who has recorded five or more sacks in each of the last two seasons.
With the second-lowest sack percentage (3.99%) in 2022, it makes sense the Bears targeted Walker and Green in free agency.
Even with those acquisitions, the best defenses in the NFL are loaded with depth on the defensive line. Look for the Bears to add to the pass rush via the draft.
Off-ball Linebacker Depth Chart, Bears:
- Tremaine Edmunds
- T.J. Edwards
- Jack Sanborn
- DeMarquis Gates
- Dylan Cole
- Sterling Weatherford
Next to the Bears trading the No. 1 overall pick, the biggest move of their offseason was the addition of Tremaine Edmunds.
Spending his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills, Edmunds has never had a season with fewer than 100 total tackles and had just one missed tackle last season. Bears linebackers combined for 22 missed tackles.
While it has not always been a strength, Edmunds also excelled in coverage last season, finishing fifth among qualifying linebackers in catch rate allowed according to PFF.
The Bears also added T.J. Edwards.
Edwards was at the forefront of the Eagles' defensive success in 2022 as he finished seventh in the NFL with 159 combined tackles. He had two sacks and recorded 51 stops.
Among the returning linebackers, Jack Sanborn was the best of the bunch in 2022. While his rookie season was cut short due to an ankle injury, Sanborn had 49 tackles and nine assists.
If there is an area in which the Bears would like to see Sanborn develop, it would be in the passing game. The young linebacker allowed a reception percentage of 81.8% and 10.5 yards per completion.
This is a Bears defense that allowed a league-high 3.1 touchdowns per game in 2022. The additions of Edmunds and Edwards have vastly improved their chances of turning things around.
Even with that, there is still a possibility that the Bears add to the linebacker position before training camp.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Bears:
- Kyler Gordon
- Jaylon Johnson
- Kindle Vildor
- Jaylon Jones
- Josh Blackwell
- Michael Ojemudia
- Harrison Hand
- Greg Stroman
Defending the pass is something the Bears desperately need to improve.
Last season, Chicago allowed 11.5 yards per reception, the second-highest mark in the NFL.
Bears pass defenders also allowed a reception percentage of 72.4 and missed 53 tackles.
In 2022, Kyler Gordon allowed 795 passing yards to opposing receivers. Quarterbacks who threw at the rookie cornerback had a passer rating of 101.9.
While Jaylon Johnson had his fair share of missed tackles, he fared better overall than his counterpart, allowing 426 yards to opposing receivers. His yards allowed have decreased every year since his 2020 rookie season.
After allowing 11 touchdowns in his first two seasons, Johnson cleaned things up in 2022 and allowed just one passing touchdown.
Unfortunately for the Bears, the situation does not improve beyond their starting cornerbacks.
Jaylon Jones allowed a passer rating of 97.3 and had a missed tackle rate of 15.2%. Kindle Vildor allowed a QB rating of 110.1. His final game of the season was particularly bad as Vildor was targeted six times and allowed four receptions and two touchdowns.
Perhaps it is due to a lack of experience and injuries, but the cornerback position needs to be addressed. Look for that to happen during the draft.
Safety Depth Chart, Bears:
- Eddie Jackson
- Jaquan Brisker
- Elijah Hicks
- A.J. Thomas
- Adrian Colbert
The safety position fared better than cornerback in 2022.
Eddie Jackson allowed just 97 yards in coverage and was only penalized once. Along with that, Jackson recorded his most interceptions since 2018 with four.
Unfortunately for Jackson, his season was cut short in Week 12 due to a Lisfranc injury. Luckily for Jackson and the Bears, the injury did not require surgery and the reports on his rehab are promising.
Jaquan Brisker was a second-round pick last year who started 15 games. The young defender was as busy as he was effective last season as Brisker had 71 tackles with a missed tackle rate of 6.3%.
Along with being efficient with his tackling, Brisker led the team in sacks with four.
Coverage is where Brisker will need to improve in 2023. Last season, the defender allowed 302 yards in coverage and surrendered four touchdowns.
Between Jackson being able to take the field in Week 1 and the team improving the secondary via the draft, less pressure should fall on the shoulders of Brisker.