After trading the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Bears are still in a prime position to land a top prospect in the 2023 NFL draft.
The Bears have some big needs to address in the draft, namely in the trenches. Many believe Chicago could use the No. 9 pick to land a top offensive tackle — like Paris Johnson Jr., Peter Skoronski or Broderick Jones. But there are some who believe general manager Ryan Poles could go defense with his first pick.
In a new mock draft from The Draft Network’s Damian Parson, the Bears address a hole along the defensive line with Clemson edge rusher Myles Murphy at ninth overall.
General manager Ryan Poles has done a great job addressing key needs for the Bears’ roster. Continuing to build this defensive line is pivotal. Myles Murphy can rush from the inside and outside. He combines length, power, and quickness to collapse the edges on opposing quarterbacks. The Bears’ pass rush ranked dead last with 20 sacks in 17 games. This has to improve and Murphy can help further this number along.
Chicago had the worst pass rush in the NFL last season, logging only 20 sacks in 17 games. Their only move in free agency was the signing of DeMarcus Walker, who cashed in after a career year. The addition of Murphy would be huge for this defense moving forward.
Murphy has a unique combination of size, strength and athleticism that would make him the perfect fit in Matt Eberflus’ defense.
