The Chicago Bears are in control of the 2023 NFL draft with the first overall pick, which gives general manager Ryan Poles plenty of leverage, especially with quarterback-needy teams looking to move up for their franchise guy.
In the first mock draft from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, the Bears stay put at first overall — although that’s by design. Most expect Chicago to try and trade back from the top spot.
But if the Bears do stay put at No. 1, Zierlein believes they’ll select Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who would help shore up the all-important three-technique in Matt Eberflus’ defense.
I’m not making a trade projection in Mock 1.0, so we will give the Bears a dominant interior defender with the ability to help the run defense and pass rush.
The expectation is Poles will look to trade back and acquire additional draft capital. Ideally, the Bears would like to remain inside the top four with a chance to land one of the top defensive prospects in Carter or Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson Jr.
But on the off chance Chicago stays in the top spot, there’s been a debate about whether they’d go Carter or Anderson. Both defensive tackle and edge rusher are huge holes on this roster — and they could be addressed in free agency. But considering the importance of the three-tech in Eberflus’ defense, landing a disruptive interior lineman feels like a good pick.
