Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft Primer: Running Back

The Chicago Bears kick off their 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 9 pick in the first round, assuming they keep the selection. There’s a reasonable chance GM Ryan Poles will trade down to acquire more draft capital, but for now, we’ll start this Bears draft primer with the picks as they currently stand.

The Chicago Bears’ list of roster needs is a long one. Offensive tackle and a 3-tech defensive lineman rank near the top as the 2023 draft closes in. Cornerback and edge rusher are strong first-round candidates too. Offensive skill positions like wide receiver will likely be addressed on Day 2 or later.

One position that will be addressed in the middle rounds (if not earlier) is running back. Veteran David Montgomery departed in free agency. While the Chicago Bears did add D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer to complement expected starter Khalil Herbert this offseason, a rookie addition is logical. Last year’s sixth-round pick, Trestan Ebner, is on the roster bubble.

2023 NFL Draft includes one elite RB prospect

Texas running back Bijan Robinson is in a class of his own. Some draft analysts have described him as a generational player and the best running back to enter the league since Saquon Barkley.

I don’t use the term generational all that often, and I don’t think Robinson warrants its usage this year. But there’s no doubt he is the best running back prospect since Barkley, and he’ll immediately become one of the NFL’s best dual-threat runners right away.

There are enough mock drafts circulating with the Chicago Bears selecting Robinson in the first round that you have to at least think about it happening. Bears fans probably won’t be happy if it does, but I don’t think it would be a doomsday scenario.

Pairing Justin Fields with Bijan Robinson would be like arming offensive coordinator Luke Getsy with a nuclear missile. His play-calling would be nearly fail-proof, and the effect the threat of Robinson would have on the production of DJ Moore, Chase Claypool, and Darnell Mooney would be remarkable.

Drafting a running back in Round 1 contradicts the team-building philosophy emphasizing the trenches in the early rounds. But Robinson is different, and Bears fans need to prepare themselves for a running back at No. 9.

Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs is lightning in a bottle

Assuming the Chicago Bears don’t select Bijan Robinson in the first round, Gibbs is a real possibility with one of their two picks in the second. Blessed with rare speed and breakaway ability, Gibbs would offer the Bears’ running game an element it doesn’t currently have. Khalil Herbert has some juice, but Gibbs is on another level.

Gibbs ran a 4.36 40-yard dash and has been fairly comp’d to former Kansas City Chiefs great, Jamaal Charles. His potential impact in the Bears backfield wouldn’t be as great as Robinson’s, but it’d be close. And Gibbs can be had in the second round (most likely).

2023 NFL Draft has no clear RB3

After Gibbs, the cluster of running backs jockeying to be RB3 is large.

Here is the group of 2023 running backs with a viable claim to being a Day-2 pick and the third running back off the board.

• Zach Charbonnet (UCLA)
• Devon Achane (Texas A&M)
• Tyjae Spears (Tulane)
• Tank Bigsby (Auburn)
• Zach Evans (Ole Miss)
• Roschon Johnson (Texas)
• Israel Abanikanda (Pitt)
• Chase Brown (Illinois)

This list could go on. TCU’s Kendre Miller is an intriguing runner. Oklahoma’s Eric Gray is a personal favorite of mine, too.

Israel Abanikanda could be a Day-3 value pick for Chicago Bears

Assuming the Chicago Bears wait until Day 3 to pick a running back, which is the most likely outcome, I’d circle Abanikanda as a prospect who will rank high on Ryan Poles’ wish list.

I have no idea why Abanikanda isn’t ranked higher within the NFL draft community. His production was off the charts in 2022: 1,431 rushing yards and 20 TDs. He followed up his season with a fantastic showing at his pro day, including a 40-yard dash in the 4.3s. At 5-foot-10 and 216 pounds, he checks nearly every box.

Another running back to keep close tabs on is the “other” guy from Texas. Johnson could be the third-most talented running back in the 2023 NFL Draft, He just happened to be stuck behind that near-generational guy over the last few seasons. A big-bodied banger with a second gear, Johnson profiles as an early-down back who can be a workhorse in the pros.

Texas A&M’s Devon Achane will be pushed down the board because of his size (5-foot-8, 188 pounds), but that’ll be a mistake. Achane reminds me of Tyreek Hill playing running back. Let that settle in.

I normally prefer running backs who weigh above 210 pounds. I believe strongly in that position minimum. But Achane’s freakish breakaway ability makes up for his size. Perhaps I’m crazy, but I see Achane being an early-down featured back in the NFL.

If Achane begins to slide, the Chicago Bears must do what’s necessary to add him to their offensive weapons.