2023 NFL Draft Recap: Chicago Bears

The 2023 NFL Draft has concluded after months of scrutiny about these prospects, potential landing spots, team and scheme fits, and so on. Now we get to start the entire process all over again now that we have team landing spots for these college prospects with their new NFL teams.

Today, we tackle the Chicago Bears and how they fared in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Chicago's 2023 NFL Draft Selections:

  • Round 1, Pick 10 - Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
  • Round 2, Pick 53 - Gervon Dexter Sr., DT, Florida
  • Round 2, Pick 56 - Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami
  • Round 3, Pick 64 - Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
  • Round 4, Pick 115 - Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
  • Round 4, Pick 133 - Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
  • Round 5, Pick 148 - Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon
  • Round 5, Pick 165 - Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
  • Round 7, Pick 218 - Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw St.
  • Round 7, Pick 258 - Kendall Williamson, DB, Stanford

The 2023 Fantasy Football Impact

This NFL Draft was a defensively-focused one by the Bears, who had the first-overall pick in the NFL Draft but traded it to Carolina for a host of picks. After selecting quarterback Justin Fields two seasons ago, they will support him by building a defense. That said, adding two skill-position players in Texas' Roschon Johnson and Cincinnati's Tyler Scott should at least fortify both position groups.

Johnson, the backup running back at Texas to top-10 fantasy pick and new Falcon Bijan Robinson was quite the prospect in his own right. In 2022, he only received 94 carries thanks to the talent in front of him and may have been overlooked by NFL teams as he slid to Day 3 and the fourth round before the Bears snatched him up.

He's a three-down running back and more importantly, somebody pretty solid in pass--protection, which could help him get on the field in his rookie season. Therein lies the problem. He sits behind incumbent Khalil Herbert and free-agent signee D'Onta Foreman, so he has his work cut out for him. That said, if a back is good enough to get immediate snaps right away, then he'll force the issue despite the depth chart ahead of him. Remember: Alvin Kamara was a third-round pick behind Mark Ingram and Adrian Peterson and he forced the issue for the Saints, making him a fantasy steal. Johnson could be a steal in the late rounds for fantasy managers looking to stash running backs on the bench or as a contingent "zero RB" play in best ball in the double-digit rounds.

Speaking of depth charts, Scott has quite the climb to make, but he's likely to at least work his way into multiple-receiver sets where the Bears extend past their trio of the newly-acquired DJ Moore, Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney. Scott only stands 5-foot-10 but is new to the position as he was a gadget option running back in high school who only caught the ball a few times. He's a speed option whose highest ceiling in the NFL is a Tyler Lockett career path as an initial deep threat who eventually earns more targets to matter in fantasy. He's not draftable in redraft leagues, but he's worth keeping an eye on should injuries hit the Bears' receiving corps or if Scott can get on the field to run routes.

Follow Kevin Tompkins on Twitter @ktompkinsii!

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