ESPN Mock Draft: Todd McShay fixes Bears’ pass rush in first-round mock

ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay published his first mock draft of the 2023 NFL Draft cycle, and his pick for the Chicago Bears is exciting.

The Bears fell to the No. 3 pick in the first round during their Bye week, thanks to the Denver Broncos losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver’s pick is owned by the Seattle Seahawks, who received it as part of the Russell Wilson trade.

Still, even with the one-pick slide, the Bears end up with a player many draft analysts think is the best non-quarterback in the class: Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.

Bears GM Ryan Poles would be thrilled with this scenario. Chicago is another trade-back candidate here, because Stroud is still out there. But then again, my No. 1 prospect is still available. After dealing away Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, the Bears need edge rushers, and Anderson is explosive, instinctive and overpowering. Over the past two seasons, he has averaged more than a sack per game (27.5) and has piled up 56 tackles for loss and 131 pressures. That kind of production would be welcomed to a defense that has just 16 sacks this season (last in the NFL).

Todd McShay, ESPN.com

Get used to the Bears picking Anderson in mock drafts over the next couple of months. It’ll either be him or Georgia’s Jalen Carter, assuming Chicago maintains the third pick (or higher). Their first-round projection will get interesting if they slide outside the top three selections. At that point, all bets are off, it’s unlikely Anderson and Carter will slide beyond No. 3 overall.

The Chicago Bears could also choose to trade down with a quarterback-needy team. McShay has quarterbacks coming off the board at the fourth and sixth picks, which means the value could be there for a team to jump up for a passer. In some ways, that would be the best-case scenario for the Bears, they’d likely only have to slide down a handful of picks but would receive a bounty of high-value draft assets in return.

It’s still very early in the 2023 NFL Draft process, and much will change between now and the end of the season, like the draft order. But it’s safe to assume the Chicago Bears will pick early in Round 1. As a result, the defense should get a boost in talent with a premier player like Anderson.