Chicago Bears 7-round Mock Draft: Bears make TWO trades in 1st round

The time for college players to declare for the 2023 NFL draft has come and gone, so it’s time for a new 2023 NFL mock draft.

Everyone wonders what the Chicago Bears will do with the No. 1 overall pick. Will they select the top prospect on their draft board? Or will they risk losing that opportunity by trading back to gain more picks?

In this scenario, the Bears trade back not once but twice: first with the Indianapolis Colts at the fourth spot and then down to the ninth spot with the Carolina Panthers.

Both deals would have the first-round pick swaps, with Carolina and Indy sending their second and fourth-round picks to Chicago, plus the Colts would include next year’s first-round pick, and Carolina would fork over their second-round pick in 2024. The mock simulator I used (Pro Football Focus) made it seem like I could trade for much more, but this feels reasonable.

Now, let’s get to those picks!

Round 1: Bryan Bresee – Defensive Tackle, Clemson

Georgia’s Jalen Carter is considered the top prospect at his position, but Clemson’s Bresee is not far behind. He’s strong, fast, has a relentless motor, and is a dominant pass rusher straight up the middle. Bresee demands special attention from the offensive line, but those double teams don’t seem to slow him down much.

Head coach Matt Eberflus said a good 3-technique is the “engine” that makes his defense work, and Bresee fits the bill perfectly.

Round 2: Drew Sanders – Linebacker/EDGE, Arkansas

Taking a linebacker this high may be controversial, but hear me out. Sanders is fast and powerful and has that coveted versatility that lets him line up either as a linebacker on his feet or a defensive end with his hand in the dirt. He’s a bruising pass rusher and competent in coverage. With his versatility, raw physical gifts, and football IQ, Sanders could be next in a long line of elite Chicago linebackers.

Round 2: Darnell Wright – Offensive Tackle, Tennessee

Wright has been flying up draft boards and might not last this long. He’s played both left and right tackle against top competition and played well. His pass protection is about as good as you’ll see from an NFL draft prospect, which the Bears badly need.

Round 2: Felix Anudike-Uzomah – EDGE, Kansas State

Racking up 98 tackles, 19.5 sacks, and eight forced fumbles over the last two years, Anudike-Uzomah is a dominant force on the edge. He’s not the kind of player who will completely take over a game, but he’s a consistently good defender, pressuring the edges and collapsing pockets.

Round 3: Steve Avila – Guard, TCU

Avila has started games at every position except left tackle, giving him the kind of versatility offensive line coaches dream of. The 2022 Consensus All-American started all fifteen games at left guard this year, and that’s where I’d project him to play primarily for the Bears. Like Wright, he’s a little bigger than the linemen GM Ryan Poles drafted last year, but I wouldn’t let 5-10 pounds overshadow the sky-high potential at this pick.

Round 4: A.T. Perry – Wide Receiver, Wake Forest

At 6’ 5” and 212 pounds, Perry has a great build for a wide receiver. His catch radius is immense, and he shows terrific body control when adjusting to a less-than-accurate pass. He’ll face challenges in the NFL that he hasn’t seen in college, like more press, and too often lets the ball come to him instead of high-pointing it with his long arms, but he could give the Bears wide receiver depth that they lacked in 2022 with room to grow and improve.

Round 4: Joe Tippmann – Center, Wisconsin

Last summer, Tippmann registered a time of just 1.65 seconds on the 10-yard split, 455 pounds on the bench press, and a 635-pound back squat, landing him on this list of freak athletes. He’s huge for a Center, standing 6’ 6” and 317 pounds, and that can cause some leverage issues when he occasionally plays too tall. But with his immense power and functional athleticism, he has a reasonable floor and an unmatched ceiling if he can continue to develop.

Round 4: Colby Wooden – Defensive End, Auburn

Like Tippmann, Wooden (6’ 5”) plays too tall at times but makes up for that with incredible power and athleticism. He has down-to-down consistency issues, and his pass-rush technique needs refinement, but I trust in Matt Eberflus to coach up young men to their fullest potential.

Round 5: 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 Wooden, his technique limits his ceiling, but good coaching could elevate him to a starting role or a quality backup.

Round 5: Luke Haggard – Offensive Tackle, Indiana

A smart tackle with decent technique, Haggard did a respectable job holding down the left side of Indiana’s line. He’s lean and could use extra weight and functional strength, and his ceiling appears low due to a lack of elite traits. But the Bears need depth on the offensive line, and Haggard could eventually be a reliable backup.

Round 6: Tyson Bagent – Quarterback, Shepherd

The Bears need a quality backup quarterback who could play Fields’ style of football, and that’s who Bagent could become. Winner of the Harlon Hill Trophy in 2021 (the Division II equivalent of the Heisman), Bagent has shifty mobility and a powerful arm. With good coaching and a mentor like Fields, he could become a highly coveted insurance policy at the most important position.

And if you think drafting a quarterback destined to ride the bench is a wasted pick, I advise you to watch what Brock Purdy is doing for the San Francisco 49ers.

Round 6: Mohamed Ibrahim – Running Back, Minnesota

Ibrahim is a powerful, bruising running back who is also terrific in pass protection. He’s got great vision behind the line and needs just one cut to pick up a big gain. He lacks elite speed, however, and his injury history is gruesome. Durability will be a major question, but I love the upside he brings as a pass blocker and bulldozer in goal-to-go situations, reminding me of the USFL’s 2022 rushing leader Darius Victor.

Round 7: Zack Kuntz – Tight End, Old Dominion

Kuntz will almost certainly never be a star in the NFL or even a starter, but the Bears desperately need pass catchers. Standing at a ridiculous 6’ 8” and 251 pounds and with surprisingly deft hands, Kuntz could be a ‘security blanket’ type of guy for Fields, especially in the red zone. Just throw it up and give the big guy a chance.

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