After trading the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears are still in a prime position at ninth overall to land a top prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
But in moving back eight spots, it does take the Bears out of the running for some of the top-ranked prospects, including edge rusher Will Anderson, who should be the first player off the board who’s not a quarterback. But there could be a scenario where Chicago lucks into a top talent.
NFL.com’s Charles Davis released his first mock draft, where he had the Bears getting a steal in Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter at ninth overall.
The top-rated player in the draft on many boards prior to the NFL combine (off-field issues/poor pro-day workout), Carter’s “slide” stops here … with the team that may have selected him at No. 1 overall if it had not traded the pick.
A month ago, no one would have predicted Carter would make it out of the top five yet alone almost fall outside the top 10. But following his off-field issues and poor showing at his pro day, there are many who believe Carter could fall right into Chicago’s laps at No. 9.
The question, of course, is whether the Bears would take a chance on Carter given character concerns. Which is why Chicago will have Carter in for a top-30 visit ahead of next month’s draft, where they’ll be able to make that decision for themselves.
