2023 NFL Draft: 5 players the Bears should consider with the No. 9 pick in Round 1

The Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers Friday for wide receiver D.J. Moore, the No. 9 and 61 picks this year, a 2024 first-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick. It’s a trade that flips the first round of the NFL Draft on its head and changes the dynamic of every mock draft published throughout draft season.

Now that the speculation about what the Bears will do with the No. 1 pick is over, it’s time to focus on the players who could be available for them to select at No. 9. Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) and Jalen Carter (Georgia) are no longer the front-runners to be Chicago’s first-round pick, both players are likely to be gone by the time the Bears are on the clock. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be a cluster of talented prospects for GM Ryan Poles to pick from in Round 1.

Here are five prospects who warrant consideration by the Chicago Bears now that they’ve slid back to the ninth pick.

Christian Gonzalez, Oregon

Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Sure, the Bears used their top draft pick in 2022 on a cornerback (Kyler Gordon), but that was a second-round selection, and Gordon experienced as many lows as highs during his rookie season. Gonzalez is a far superior prospect coming out than Gordon was last year and would offer the Bears a potential lockdown cornerback to complement Jaylon Johnson on the outside. Gordon can kick inside to the nickel, where his athletic traits can be best utilized.

Paris Johnson Jr.

Paris Johnson Jr., OT, Ohio State

Johnson’s draft stock is trending up, and there’s a chance he’ll be off the board before the Bears are on the clock. But if he’s still available at No. 9, Poles should strongly consider adding the 6-6, 318-pounder (who happens to have 36-inch arms). There’s a good chance the Chicago Bears will address offensive tackle in free agency, and if they spend top dollar on a bookend, it will shuffle their draft board quite a bit. But if Poles strikes out on one of the big free-agent tackles, Johnson will move to the top of the wish list at No. 9.

Lukas Van Ness

Lukas Van Ness, DL, Iowa

Van Ness is an overlooked top-10 prospect at this point in the draft process. He may not be one of the 10-best players in the class, but he plays a premium position and has the versatility to kick inside to the three-technique in Chicago. Despite not starting any games in 2022 (it’s not a knock against Van Ness, it’s a philosophical approach by Iowa to start seniors), Van Ness managed 6.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2022. He’s nicknamed Hercules for good reason.

Myles Murphy

Myles Murphy, Edge, Clemson

Murphy began the 2023 NFL draft process as a potential top-5 pick but has slid to the later portion of Round 1 in recent mock drafts. It’s a phenomenon that usually happens because tuned-in draft analysts are hearing the NFL may not be as high on a player as the media, and that could be true with Murphy. But at this point, he still warrants consideration at No. 9. Murphy is one of the best edge rushing prospects in this year’s class, and if the Bears are deadset on adding a pass rusher with their first selection, Murphy could be the best of the bunch who’s still on the board for Poles.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

Like Johnson, Jones makes a ton of sense for the Chicago Bears in the first round if they want to spend the No. 9 pick on a premium position. Jones has the athletic profile Ryan Poles covets and projects as a long-term left tackle in the NFL. The Bears already have a young “Jones” slated to start at left tackle in 2022 fifth-round pick, Braxton Jones, but Broderick has more of the prototypical makeup for the position. Braxton can kick over to the right side if the Bears prioritize one of the top left tackles in the first round.