2023 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears land elite defensive tackle in 1st-round trade

If the 2022 NFL season has made anything clear for the Chicago Bears, it’s this: they are in terrible shape on both sides of the trenches. Their pass rush is nonexistent, and their pass protection is so bad I can’t choose the right word to describe it.

Shoring up the lines was my main priority in this mock draft, created using PFF’s mock draft simulator. I made just one trade, sending the second overall pick to the Indianapolis Colts in return for the fifth overall pick, a second-rounder, a 2024 second-rounder, and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.

Reuniting Buckner with Matt Eberflus just makes too much sense. One of the best 3-techs in the league, Buckner would immediately take this defensive line lightyears ahead of where it is now. At age 28, he’d inject veteran leadership into a defense that badly needs it.

Now let’s look at how the rest of the draft shook out.

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Round 1: Peter Skoronski – Offensive Tackle, Northwestern

Skoronski is widely seen as the top offensive tackle prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft, and nothing about his tape would suggest otherwise. According to PFF, he allowed just six quarterback pressures in 480 passing-blocking snaps this season. And if PFF grades are your thing, they grade him at 93.7 for pass blocking (79.1 for run blocking, fifth-best for Power 5 tackles).

There are concerns about his arm length, but I don’t buy into that much. Skoronski’s talent level is too high to be overshadowed by two-thirds of an inch on his arms. Skoronski will keep Justin Fields upright long enough to torch NFL defenses every week.

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Round 2: Rashee Rice – Wide Receiver, SMU

Quietly one of my favorite receivers in this draft, Rice is 6’ 2” and 203 lbs, but he’s more than just a big dude. He possesses a fantastic sense of timing on his routes and elevating for jump balls, high pointing the ball easily. His catch technique is just about flawless, and he’s a yards-after-the-catch monster.

Bears fans have watched multiple would-be game-winning drives end when a receiver drops a perfectly thrown ball by Fields. Adding Rice to the roster would solve this problem.

Round 2: John Michael Schmitz – Center, Minnesota

Center is a huge position of need for the Chicago Bears, so nabbing the draft’s top prospect at that spot is critical. Schmitz has three years of starting experience at Center and has seen it all, so he has a high football IQ to go along with his physical traits. He’s one mean S.O.B., too, giving him the tools, traits, and temperament to be the next dominant Chicago Bears Center.

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Round 3: Lukas Van Ness – Defensive End, Iowa

The Bears need help up and down the defensive line, and that’s where Van Ness comes in. A fast and powerful guy who can line up inside or on the edge, he’ll find a way to get to the quarterback. While he’s not a generational prospect like Jalen Carter or Will Anderson Jr, Van Ness could carve out a role as a reliable fixture on the defense, especially if he’s lining up next to DeForest Buckner.

Round 4: Tuli Tuipulotu – Defensive End, USC

Back-to-back edge rushers with this pick. Tuipulotu was the PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, leading the country with 12.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. This selection would bring some badly needed sack production to Chicago. Between Tuli and Van Ness, hopefully, the team leader for sacks next year won’t be a rookie safety.

Round 5: Owen Pappoe – Linebacker, Auburn

Despite the rise of undrafted free agent Jack Sanborn, the Bears’ linebacker cupboard is pretty bare. Enter Pappoe. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker has an incredible 40-inch vertical and a 4.47-second 40-yard dash. He’s been a leader in the Auburn locker room for two years and could also be a leader for Chicago. He’s not the biggest or strongest linebacker, but he’s smart and makes big plays.

Round 5: Jaelyn Duncan – Offensive Tackle, Maryland

I would see Duncan moving inside to guard as the third offensive lineman in this draft. He possesses tremendous athleticism and an explosive first step, but his technique leaves much to be desired. He’d be a great backup to Teven Jenkins to sit and learn the ropes until he’s ready to take a starting role on the left side.

Round 6: Jonah Tavai – Defensive Tackle, San Diego State

Tavai has terrorized the Mountain West Conference for the last two years, racking up 19 sacks as an Aztec. He’s got a great build for a defensive tackle, compact and strong like a wrecking ball, and a mauler’s attitude. Like Duncan, his technique limits his ceiling for now, but backing up one of the NFL’s premier defensive linemen for a year or two could do wonders for his career.

Round 6: Charlie Jones – Wide Receiver, Purdue

Jones is a sixth-year senior, so he is a bit older, and his ceiling is probably fairly low compared to his peers. But he’s proven to be an explosive playmaker, even on the biggest stages. He led the country in receptions (110) and receiving yards (1,361) and tied for the fifth most touchdowns (12) during the regular season.

I could see Jones becoming a Hunter Renfrow player in the NFL: nothing special, but dependable when you need him.

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Round 7: Zack Kuntz – Tight End, Old Dominion

As promised in my last mock draft, Kuntz remains my last choice. He’s arguably the freakiest of freak athletes going into the draft, standing at 6’ 8” and 251 lbs, but he can run a 4.57 40-yard dash and boasts a 40” vertical. Don’t expect him to block, but the Bears could use him as a mammoth red-zone target.

Late Day 3 picks are best spent on players with the highest imaginable upside, and I can’t think of anyone with a higher ceiling than Kuntz.