NFL Draft: Meet the New Chicago Bears
A brief intro to each player selected to become Monsters of the Midway in '23
Selected: Round 1, Pick 10
About that comparison: Made by NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, who says there that Wright should “develop into a decent starting tackle with the potential to kick inside if necessary.”
A local reaction: “Wright can play right or left tackle, but his sterling final season at Tennessee should allow the Bears to give Jones another season on the left side to see if he can develop into a building block. If he can't, Wright can move over in 2024.” - Josh Schrock, NBC Sports Chicago
Wright’s reaction to being selected (via 24/7 Sports): “…I knew I could go this high. But just took the right team to just see that, the right coaches who know what they’re looking at they know what I can be. I haven’t even reached my (potential), just scratching the surface of what I can be.”
Selected: Round 2, Pick 22 (53rd overall)
Selected: Round 2, Pick 25 (56th overall)
We have a trade: This deal saw the Bears move up five spots and give up a fifth round pick in this year’s draft in order to select the big, rangy corner from “The U.” Nice that Bear and Miami legend Devin Hester got to announce this one.
Another cool tidbit: According to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, all three of the Bears’ top picks visited Halas Hall in the same week prior to the draft. There’s also ties to Wright and Stevenson working with Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, who coached the pair in the Senior Bowl this past January. Gotta credit the Bears for having plans entering this draft and sticking with them.
Stevenson’s reaction to being selected (via Josh Schrock): “You going to get one dog player that's coming ... an all-out baller who is coming in to make an impact from Day 1."
Selected: Round 3, Pick 1 (64th overall)
Says Zierlein: Pickens has “a disruptive first step that creates advantages for him as both a run defender and pass rusher” with “harmonious hands and feet to elude blockers or play off them” though he could “get moved around by NFL drive blockers.”
Day 3 - Living on the Edge(s)
I’m sure some of you are already about to jump on this subhead as none of the Bears’ six picks from the final day of the draft technically play the “edge,” or defensive end, position. “Edges” in this case mean the ends of the field, where we can possibly see immediate impact from some of the final six picks that the Bears pulled out on Saturday.
Ryan Poles and the crew at Halas Hall started day 3 of the draft getting two potentially explosive play makers who can stretch the field in all directions and do so not only as position players on offense but as effective special teams contributors, at least at the beginning of their Bears careers.
Rick Spielman on Roschon Johnson: “November, December, when it’s cold, rainy, snowy — give this monster the ball and he’s gonna churn out yards for you.”
A lot of praise has been heaped on the Bears for their first fourth round selection. Johnson, a back-up running back at Texas, has been universally cited as high-character off the field and a weapon ready to be unleashed on it. Playing behind this draft’s top rushing prospect (Bijan Robinson) has seemed to be the only thing that kept Johnson from being a Day 1 or early Day 2 selection. Some analysts have him as the possible steal of the draft.
CHGO Sports on Noah Sewell: “You’ll see him drop back in coverage, you’ll see him on the edge, you’ll see him running twists with some of the defensive linemen…he’s an all-around linebacker, gives you options as a defensive playcaller.”
Travis Bell on being the first player ever drafted from Kennesaw State: “It means a lot to me…that was most definitely a part of the goal, but I really just wanted the opportunity, however it came.”
Kendall Williamson on how he can earn a roster spot: “I’ma show that I can come in and be a player who can make an influence immediately in whatever way possible. That’s my main goal coming in, is to show that I can do that.”
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