ESPN ranks Bears’ 2023 rookie class among NFL’s best

The Chicago Bears began the 2023 NFL Draft process with the first overall pick, which, much like this year, sparked debate about whether GM Ryan Poles would stick with Justin Fields or select a prospect like Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.

Poles stuck with Fields, traded the first pick for an absolute haul, and went to work with 10 selections that turned out to be the fifth-best draft class in the NFL, according to ESPN.

Here was the standard by which ESPN judged the rookie classes:

“To rank the rookie classes, we started with Sports Info Solutions” Total Points metric. Based on game charting, Total Points takes every element of a play and uses that data to evaluate each player on a scale that allows you to compare between positions. In other words, how many points do we estimate that this player either earned for his offense or saved for his defense?”

The Bears” 2023 NFL draft started with Darnell Wright at No. 10 overall. It was considered a controversial pick at the time because Poles decided to trade back from No. 9 and pass on Jalen Carter, who many considered the best player in the draft. Wright went on to start every game of the season and proved to be one of the top young right tackles in the NFL.

Simply put, Poles for the win.

In the second round, the Chicago Bears double-dipped on defense with the selections of defensive lineman Gervon Dexter and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

Stevenson and Terell Smith, the Bears’ fifth-round corner, combined with Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson, formed a quality secondary as the 2023 season marched on.

“Stevenson started all season and really struggled early in the year,” ESPN’s Aaron Schatz wrote. “From Weeks 1 to 9, he put up 63% DVOA in coverage, one of the worst figures in the league. (Remember, a negative DVOA is better because you’re stopping offensive success.) However, Stevenson completely turned things around in the second half of the year. His minus-60% DVOA in coverage since Week 10 was one of the best figures in the league. As for Smith, he had three starts and some play in nickel packages with a quality minus-15% DVOA allowed in coverage.”

It’s fair to say the Bears landed at least three critical starters in the 2023 draft: Wright, Stevenson, and Dexter. Players like Smith, Roschon Johnson, Zacch Pickens, and Tyler Scott have promising futures, even if as role players. That’s seven players who have legitimate futures in Chicago.

Yeah, that’s a job well done by Ryan Poles and his scouting staff.

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