Grading the Chicago Bears’ 2023 rookie class

Just like that, the 2023 NFL season is over, and the Chicago Bears’ rookie class are rookies no more.

This year’s group of first-year players had some ups and downs, some pleasant surprises and some disappointments.

How did they do? Let’s assign some grades.

Remember that these grades are neither final nor indicative of each player’s future. You can’t truly grade a player until they’ve played three full years in the NFL, so some of these grades may look pretty dumb in a year or two.

Let’s get to the grades (you can read my previous in-season grades for the rookies here and here).

Darnell Wright

The raw data doesn’t look good for Wright, with seven sacks allowed on the season, but this is deceiving. When protecting a quarterback with a time-to-throw as high as Justin Fields, who finished the season with the second-longest time-to-throw in the NFL, a lineman’s job becomes much harder. A good block can turn bad due to that extra second that Fields holds onto the ball.

However, when you put on Wright’s tape, you see how good he’s been.

Arguably, his best game came in Week 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders, when he stonewalled stud pass rusher Maxx Crosby while playing through two injuries. He also largely shut down Aiden Hutchinson in both matchups against the Lions. He was a rock on the Bears’ offensive line this year, earning a spot on CBS’s “All-Rookie” team, and looks to like a foundational building block for this franchise.

Grade: A

Gervon Dexter

GM Ryan Poles caught a lot of flack by passing on rookie defensive tackle Jalen Carter, especially when the season started and the Bears’ defense was still atrocious while Carter was racking up highlights. But the late-season emergence of Gervon Dexter has put any potential remorse in the rearview mirror.

Dexter finished 2023 with 2.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits to go along with 13 solo tackles. As the season went on and he adjusted to NFL play, Dexter showcased incredible power and solid techniques as he blasted through double-teams and harassed quarterbacks.

It’s too early to claim that he’s arrived as a true threat on the interior of the defensive line, but the future looks bright for Dexter.

Grade: B+

Tyrique Stevenson

Much like Kyler Gordon in 2022, Stevenson looked like a complete bust early in his rookie year but developed into a stud by season’s end. His four interceptions led all rookie cornerbacks, and he also racked up 16 pass deflections and two forced fumbles.

Almost every weakness in Stevenson’s game, particularly his penchant for penalties, got cleaned up as the season progressed, and his strengths seemed to increase. Anytime a GM trades up for a prospect, as Poles did for Stevenson, that puts some extra pressure on the player to perform. In this regard, Stevenson passes with flying colors.

Grade: A-

Zacch Pickens

With quite a few established veterans ahead of him and the emergence of fellow rookie Gervon Dexter, Pickens didn’t get many opportunities to showcase his abilities. When he did, there wasn’t anything too special to be seen. This is not necessarily a knock on him, just a note that he had a more typical rookie season for a Day 2 draft pick than Dexter or Stevenson had.

Hopefully, Pickens will get more opportunities in 2024 because I believe he has some real potential in the NFL.

Grade: C

Roschon Johnson

I expected Johnson to become the feature back in Chicago’s offense at some point in his rookie season. That didn’t happen. Part of the reason is the high level of play Chicago got from veterans Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman, and part of it is that Johnson was not quite as explosive as I had hoped.

Still, he had himself a good rookie campaign. Johnson finished with 561 all-purpose yards, two touchdowns, and a respectable 4.3 yards per carry average. I envision big things ahead for Johnson in 2024 and beyond.

Grade: C+

Tyler Scott

Arguably, the biggest disappointment in Poles’ 2023 class was Scott. Many draft analysts saw a small but impactful role for the speedy Scott on this Bears offense, but nothing ever materialized for him. Even after Chase Claypool was traded and a spot as a starting receiver seemed up for grabs, Scott dropped the ball. Repeatedly.

His rookie season saw him pull in just 17 receptions for 168 yards and no touchdowns. There’s still time for him to turn his career around, but if he wants to stick around in Chicago, that turnaround will have to come early in 2024.

Grade: D

Noah Sewell

Sewell was once regarded as a player who could be the first linebacker drafted (back in 2022) with his insane athleticism and white-hot motor. Instead, he fell to Chicago in the fourth round of the 2023 draft with the potential to be a steal.

Unfortunately for Sewell, the Bears have far too much talent at linebacker for him to get much of an opportunity. His rookie season ended with just nine total tackles and one forced fumble in thirteen games (he missed four with injuries).

I still have high hopes for Sewell to be a solid contributor in the NFL, but with Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, and second-year man Jack Sanborn ahead of him on the depth chart, he may have to find that opportunity on a different team once his rookie deal is up.

Grade: C-

Terell Smith

I was ready to give the rookie cornerback a higher grade, but that performance in Green Bay, starting in place of injured Jaylon Johnson, was brutal. Unfortunately for Smith, that was the last game of the year, so that is our last impression of him as a rookie.

He flashed a lot of potential earlier in the year, but what a missed opportunity for the rookie to carry some serious momentum into the offseason.

Grade: D+

Tyson Bagent

Bagent was (sort of) a household name for a couple of weeks, the last rookie of the 2023 draft class to get extended playing time. While the hype train quickly went off the rails following a fantastic debut against the Raiders, I think Bagent proved that, at worst, he can be a quality backup quarterback in the NFL. He displayed a high-level football IQ, showed off some impressive mobility, and went 2-2 as a starter, which is about all that anyone can expect of a backup quarterback.

For an undrafted rookie quarterback, coming from a Division II school no less, Bagent’s rookie season was a clear success.

Grade: C+

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