2023 NFL Draft: 5 prospects the Chicago Bears should target if they trade the No. 1 pick

The Chicago Bears are expected to trade out of the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft any day now. It’s no longer a matter of if, it’s simply a matter of when. But how far back GM Ryan Poles is willing to go remains a mystery. He said he wants to remain in position to draft a “blue player,” the highest grade issued by the Bears’ scouting department.

The Bears will have no shortage of trade partners in a trade-back scenario. The Houston Texans at No. 2, the Indianapolis Colts at No. 4, the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 7, the Carolina Panthers at No. 9, and the Tennessee Titans at No. 11 have all been mentioned as teams interested in moving up.

Trading down to the second pick is a logical move if Poles wants to guarantee the Chicago Bears end up with Will Anderson Jr., the dominant edge rusher from Alabama, or Jalen Carter, the disruptive three-technique from Georgia. We’ll assume for this post that Carter’s legal issues are resolved by draft weekend and that he remains in the conversation for the No. 1 pick.

But a trade with the Texans will also net the Bears the lowest return. Perhaps they end up with a second-round pick in 2023 and 2024 (in addition to the No. 2 pick), that’s about as much as they’ll get. Sliding back two more spots to No. 4 is where Chicago can reasonably expect a first-round pick in 2024 as part of the deal, and there’s a chance it can even be the sweet spot for a 2025 first-rounder, too. Any trade that involves the Chicago Bears dropping further than No. 4 is almost certain to result in first-round picks into 2025.

The most impactful decision Ryan Poles can make is a trade that creates positive aftershocks for the Bears for several seasons. Poles wants that result, so it’s fair to expect a trade that will drop Chicago to the bottom half of the top 10.

Can the Bears still get a blue player if they trade with the Panthers or Titans? Who knows. Only Poles and his scouts know what their grades are. But here are five players who’d dramatically improve Chicago’s roster if they drop several spots in the first round.

Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

The Bears’ need at offensive tackle could get addressed in free agency, but if they pass on this year’s veteran free agents, Johnson would be a fantastic first-round pick to pair with Braxton Jones.

Jones has received an overwhelming vote of confidence from the Chicago Bears, but there’s no denying Johnson is a prospect who has franchise left tackle upside. If he’s Ryan Poles’ pick, there’d be nothing wrong with kicking Jones to the right side and letting this pair of offensive tackles become one of the better young duos in the NFL.

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Peter Skoronski, OL, Northwestern

Skoronski’s short arms dominated the headlines at the NFL Combine, and it’s unfair. He had a fantastic workout as an athlete and in the on-field drills and profiles as a decade-long starter with All-Pro potential. Perhaps he develops into one of the NFL’s best centers or guards, that’s fine. But he deserves the opportunity to begin his career as a right tackle. If he fails, so be it. Kick him inside and reap the rewards

Skoronski is a fringe-top-10 pick who will rank high on the Chicago Bears’ draft board because of their need at almost every position along the offensive line. Skoronski’s positional versatility makes him almost bust-proof.

Bijan Robinson, RB, Texas

Settle down, Bears fans. I know it’s taboo to draft a running back in or around the top 10 in the NFL Draft, but Robinson must be viewed in the proper context. He isn’t a running back, he’s an offensive weapon. And the Chicago Bears need a lot of those.

Robinson would pair with Justin Fields to form one of the NFL’s most dangerous and explosive backfields. He’s a rare bell-cow running back who can also threaten for 80 or more catches per season. What the Bears lack at wide receiver, Robinson can make up for out of the backfield. I have no doubt he’ll be a blue player for the Bears, don’t rule him out.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Smith-Njigba did his part to neutralize straight-line speed concerns with his elite agility scores and on-field work. He has a similar skill set to Los Angeles Rams’ stud Cooper Kupp, he wins as a quick-twitch route-runner who will feast on a high volume of targets and yards after the catch.

The lackluster group of wide receiver prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft and Smith-Njigba’s fantastic NFL Combine has the Ohio State product as the presumptive WR1. He’s the kind of target the Bears need in their passing attack, and if they slide back to, say, the No. 9 pick, Smith-Njigba will absolutely be in the mix.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

See a theme here? If the Chicago Bears trade down beyond the No. 4 pick, the best player on the board will likely be an offensive lineman. Jones is battling with Paris Johnson Jr. to be OT1 in 2023. Player rankings will vary among war rooms, and there’s a chance Jones could already be at the top of his position for the Bears.

Jones is a plus athlete — the Bears like that — and likes to punish his opponent. His ceiling is incredibly high, and he could develop into the best all-around offensive lineman who comes out of the 2023 NFL draft.

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