Chicago Bears give Justin Fields help in latest Mel Kiper Mock Draft

The decision to slide back to the No. 9 pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft will give Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles options. It’s not like he didn’t have options at the No. 1 pick, he could’ve taken anyone he wanted. But trading back to No. 9 creates an opportunity to target a position group with no first-overall candidate: the offensive line.

In the latest 2023 mock draft from ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr., the Bears take that approach and lock up right tackle with Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr.

Remember: Last year’s fifth-round pick, Braxton Jones, is slated to begin the 2023 season as the starting left tackle. It’s unlikely that will change. But if Johnson is a clear upgrade over Jones, the Bears will kick Jones to the right side. No matter how the alignment shakes out, adding Johnson in Round 1 gives the Chicago Bears an exciting pair of bookends to protect Justin Fields.

“I see offensive tackle as their biggest hole after their moves in free agency,” Kiper wrote. “They added guard Nate Davis to start on the right side, but are they really trusting Teven Jenkins to lock in the right tackle job? They could have their choice of the class” tackles here. Johnson played both tackle spots and right guard for the Buckeyes, and he already has blocked for quarterback Justin Fields. Chicago needs to keep supporting Fields and get him a stellar lineman with this pick, and it could still address the defense with its two second-round picks (Nos. 53 and 61) and early third-rounder (No. 64).”

It certainly feels like Paris Johnson Jr. to the Chicago Bears is a narrative that will continue building momentum as the weeks until the 2023 NFL Draft dwindle. The remaining crop of unsigned free agents doesn’t offer any starting-quality offensive tackles, and the longer the Bears wait to address the position in the NFL Draft, the less likely they’ll land a starter.

Even if Johnson isn’t the pick, players like Georgia’s Broderick Jones and Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski will be in play. No matter who it is, the Bears” first-rounder will be an offensive lineman.