2023 NFL Draft Order: Bears have top-10 pick after Week 9 loss

Justin Fields has created a sense of optimism that hasn’t surrounded the Chicago Bears in quite some time. Despite being 3-6 and losers of five of their last six games, Fields’ emergence as a legitimate superstar has the losses feeling like just a part of the necessary journey for the Bears to become a consistent contender in the NFC.

The fastest way for Chicago to reach that level of success is by drafting well. And the higher a team picks in the NFL Draft, the better their chances are at landing an instant starter.

The Bears’ odds at landing a blue-chipper improved after Week 9’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. They now hold the eighth overall pick, which could be a sweet spot for an offensive tackle or wide receiver in the first round.

Offensive tackles like Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. would look awfully good in a Bears uniform next fall, as would wide receivers Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Ohio State), Quentin Johnson (TCU), or Kayshon Boutte (LSU).

Bears fans can celebrate the fact that Justin Fields is now the NFL record-holder for the most rushing yards in a regular-season game by a quarterback while also looking ahead to the next wave of talent that could be on its way to Chicago.

With the most salary cap space in the NFL next offseason and potentially a top-10 pick in his arsenal, GM Ryan Poles has a chance to flip the Chicago Bears into a winner much sooner than anyone would’ve expected.