The Chicago Bears have had a busy offseason, working to improve the team following their historic 3-14 run during the 2022 season during general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus’ first year with the team. Now going into Year 2, Poles and Eberflus are working to get the Bears back to relevancy and build a foundation that will eventually lead to postseason success.
Following their free agency frenzy, the Bears are setting their sights towards the 2023 NFL draft, which is quickly approaching. After initially winding up with the No. 1 overall pick, the Bears moved down to No. 9 following a lucrative trade with the Carolina Panthers. They will look to shore up certain positions such as offensive tackle and defensive line that still have glaring holes.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position to break down where Chicago stands entering the NFL draft. We’re wrapping things up with special teams, which seems set at this point.
Who's on the roster?
- Cairo Santos
- Trenton Gill
- Patrick Scales
- Ryan Anderson
Santos has been a reliable kicker for the Bears over the last three years. And that remains true heading into the 2023 season. Last year, Santos connected on 21-of-23 field goals (91.3%) But the one point of contention were his struggles on extra point attempts, where he missed five over the course of the year (27/32 for 84.4%). It’s the most misses he’s had in his career — and four more than his previous two years in Chicago — and all of them came at Soldier Field, including two during a monsoon in Week 1. Still, Santos remains a reliable kicker and there’s no need for the Bears to consider another option at this point.
Gill was drafted in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft, where he stepped in for the departed Pat O’Donnell, who exited in free agency. Gill had a solid rookie season and made it a seamless transition from O’Donnell. Gill was good at pinning teams deep, where he had 20 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill had just one punt blocked, which came against the Dolphins when Jaelan Phillips got past Khalil Herbert for the block. It was recovered and returned for a touchdown. Outside of that blemish, Gill looked like a seasoned pro in just his first season in Chicago. Gill finished the season with a net punting average of 40.3 yards, the third best in franchise history.
Scales has been a mainstay with the Bears since joining them in 2015, and it spoke volumes that GM Ryan Poles opted to re-sign Scales to a one-year deal last offseason. Scales was just one of two players from the former resume to be brought back. In his eight-year career, Scales has appeared in 105 games as a long snapper with the Ravens (2014) and Bears (2015-22). Scales is coming off another solid year with Chicago, where he was the lone Bears player to receive a single All-Pro vote for 2022.
The team added Anderson to the specialists room. Anderson, 27, worked out for the Bears during the 2022 season. He’s a left-footed punter, and the team was preparing to face a left-footed punter in Washington’s Tress Way. Now, Anderson will work with Chicago during the offseason.
Who departed this offseason?
- N/A
Positional need: Low
Special teams ranks far down the list of needs for the Bears this offseason. They have their kicker, punter and long snapper locked down in Santos, Gill and Scales, who re-signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason. The only question is whether they decide to look to the draft for a kicker, as there are some top options available this year.
Top draft prospects
- K Jake Moody, Michigan
- K Jack Podlesny, Georgia
- K Christopher Dunn, NC State
- K Chad Ryland, Maryland
- P Adam Korsak, Rutgers
- P Brad Robbins, Michigan
- P Bryce Baringer, Michigan State
There are some intriguing options at kicker and punter for the Bears, who could be looking to add some rookie talent in the specialists room. Santos is entering the final year of his deal, and there are some top kickers on the board in Moody, Dunn and Ryland. Scales is the longest-tenured player on the Bears, and the team could choose to move on from him at any point.
2023 NFL draft position preview
| Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver |
| Tight end | Offensive line | Edge rusher |
| Interior defensive line | Linebacker | Cornerback |
| Safety | Specialists |
