Todd McShay dubs Zacch Pickens Bears’ best value pick in 2023 NFL draft

The NFL Draft is about more than just hitting on first-round picks. The best teams find quality starters in the middle rounds, and the Chicago Bears hope some of their middle-round picks will emerge as key contributors in 2023 and beyond.

ESPN’s Todd McShay published a list of his favorite value selections from the 2023 NFL Draft, and for the Bears, he chose South Carolina defensive lineman Zacch Pickens.

Chicago selected Pickens in the third round.

“Matt Eberflus” defense relies on a good, penetrating 3-technique up the middle, and that’s Pickens,” McShay wrote. “We’re talking about a unit that totaled 20 sacks in 2022, last in the NFL. And while Pickens had only 2.5 sacks last season, his explosion, first-step quickness and power suggest he can be more disruptive than his numbers suggest. A great performance at the combine boosted his stock, too. He ran a 4.89-second 40 and jumped 9-foot-8 in the broad jump at 291 pounds. I’d like to see a more diverse pass-rush move arsenal, and he’s still leaving some opportunities to make plays out there, but the potential is really good. That burst and power up the middle will define his pro game.”

Zacch Pickens joins a growing list of new Bears defensive linemen

It’s no surprise the Chicago Bears selected a 3-tech on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. It was one of their biggest needs entering draft weekend. And while there will continue to be a large contingent of Bears fans who think GM Ryan Poles should’ve selected Jalen Carter in the first round, Pickens is a quality consolation prize.

Pickens (6-foot-4, 291 pounds) had a strong showing at the 2023 NFL Combine. He ran a 4.89 40-yard dash and jumped nearly 31 inches in the vertical. He set a career-high with 42 tackles in 2022, including four tackles for loss, in 12 starts. He totaled 32 starts during his college career.

Veteran Justin Jones will begin training camp as the starter, and there’s no reason to believe Pickens is a threat to his job in 2023. Instead, he’ll factor heavily in a rotation with several other new Bears defensive linemen. Coach Matt Eberflus mentioned during Chicago’s post-draft press conference that having a good rotation of big-bodied defensive linemen is an important part of their strategy.

The Chicago Bears have been busy adding more size, length, and athleticism to the defensive line this offseason. DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings were signed in free agency, both will play a big role up front. Rasheem Green was added to join the Bears” rotation of pass rushers.

The 2023 draft featured three new defensive linemen: Gervon Dexter Sr. (second round), Pickens (third round), and Travis Bell (seventh round).

We’ll find out soon enough if these moves will be enough to improve a run defense that was among the NFL’s worst in 2022.