[2023] Chicago Bears Draft Recap

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With a fresh new owner at the helm, there was plenty of buzz during draft day on how new owner nemolee.exe would draft to make his players better. With that being said, it almost felt as if the new owner had no hesitation in making his selections. Despite the Bears being one of the best teams -- a contender for the NFC North title -- it almost felt as if he treated this as if the Bears were currently on a rebuild. There were indeed a couple of holes, and nemolee.exe did his best to fill in these holes by bringing in some guys that are willing to work for the Windy City. In any case, in retrospect of all of these picks, it seems like the rich only get richer from here -- even though none of these are given superstars. With the new owner being conservative with his picks, he made sure to draft a bunch of players to help the team improve from just barely missing the postseason last season. Here are the 9 fresh faces that will be joining the Bears squadron: 

Jackson Frietas - Round 1, Pick 14

This almost seems like a no-brainer for the Bears. Now that the unhappy Russell Barnes is out of the Windy City, the Bears felt like he was too good to pass up seeing the receiver class for the year. Chicago did not anticipate that Freitas would pass on to them, given the need for the receiver position amongst the teams before them. He seemed to impress scouts at the combine, improving in some areas compared to his pro day. He even showed his speed with a sub-4.50 time in the 40-yard dash. There also seems to be a lot of praise amongst draft experts, with some even saying that he is better than the 2nd best prospect in Fernando Thomas – who went the pick before. There is a little concern about his stats, though. His 70% catch rate was due to limited time, and because of this, his stats seem to decrease compared to the previous year. Frietas has the potential to leapfrog Richard Mcguire for the WR1 spot, but with that limited amount of playing time, that’s something that he has to prove himself. 

NNN Grade: B+
NNN Analytics Grade: 85.34% (B) 
NNN Projection:  Late 1st Round
SFA Draft Grade: 76.92
Projected Role: 2nd slot Starting WR

Jawun Hilton - Round 2, Pick 46

 

With a subsequently weak defensive end class this year, the Bears wait until the second one to address their weakest link. They select the guy with the biggest ceiling of any of these ends, Jawun Hilton. He had a decent season with Oklahoma State last season and didn’t impress the scouts during the combine last season. But his rawness gives Hilton a rather good upside, and the Bears can only hope that he develops into the player that they want him to be. Oklahoma State coach Broletariat also said that Hilton is also one of the best teammates that he ever coaches, whether it be on or off the field. Something that new owner nemolee.exe prides himself on is not only talent and teamwork but also the idea of the team as a family, and Hilton fits that mold very well. This is a risky pick, but this might pay off big time for the Bears.

NNN Grade: B
NNN Analytics Grade: 71.10% (C-) 
NNN Projection: 2nd Round - 3rd Round 
SFA Draft Grade: 64.62
Projected Role: Starter DE 

Pat Flexen  - Round 3, Pick 78

While it isn’t a pressing need for the Bears, Chicago felt like they needed to address the weak running back position. Spending their first two picks on a replacement for a star player and the team’s biggest need, the Bears waited until the third round for their possible starter at running back. With that pick, they selected the speedster Pat Flexen from Texas State, who has been a powerhouse in the Sun Belt conference. Despite only playing in one season of college ball, Flexen was dominant on the game tape. His showing at the combine is the reason why he fell to the third round, which is good news for the Bears. Chicago hopes to utilize his high potential to be their next starter in the long run.
NNN Grade: A-
NNN Analytics Grade: 78.69% (C+) 
NNN Projection: 3rd Round 
SFA Draft Grade: 63.08
Projected Role: Starter RB

Daniel Lawrence - Round 4, Pick 101

 

Perhaps it is very early to think about something like this, but sometimes you have to look towards the future. The Bears have an aging offensive tackle in the form of Preston Smith, and his expiring contract makes it feel like there won’t be much left in the tank for him soon. To prepare for Smith’s inevitable departure, the Bears made the decision to get the best available tackle with their first pick in the fourth round. Honestly Daniel Lawerence is not the best pick, but there is some upside to this selection. He only gave up 2 sacks in his lone season as a starter. Although there is not that big of a ceiling for Lawerence, perhaps he could be slated for better things with a highly-praised veteran as his mentor. 

NNN Grade: B
NNN Analytics Grade: 73.90% (C-) 
NNN Projection: 4th-5th Round 
SFA Draft Grade: 64.62
Projected Role: 2nd-String OT, Special Teams OT

 

 

Josh Nelson - Round 4, Pick 110

 

The Bears need a kicker. There wasn’t any when new owner nemolee.exe joined the Bears ownership. Ever since Francis Barmore left the team for Buffalo, there has been talks around the front office as to who would be his replacement. They decided that they would look at the draft to address their kicker position, hoping that they would find themselves in a prime position to grab top kicker Elih Obada. After Denver shocked everyone by taking him in the second round, Chicago had no choice but to choose the next best kicker in the draft, Josh Nelson. This was a risky pick. He has a high ceiling, and has good strength on the leg, but there are issues in terms of accuracy. The Bears hope that he can overcome those issues and be the next big kicker for the Bears.

NNN Grade: A-
NNN Analytics Grade: 82.30% (B-) 
NNN Projection: 4th-5th Round
SFA Draft Grade: 58.31
Projected Role: Starting Kicker, Field Goal Kicker

 

 

J.D. Mendez - Round 5, Pick 142

 

For the late rounds, the Bears were thinking closer to stacking up their depth finding instead of addressing positions of need. The Bears felt like they didn’t have a adequate backup cornerback. Jimenez is a good corner, but his play compared to CB1 Gary Lindblad feels like night and day. So, in a way, picking Mendez while he was still available made perfect sense for the Bears. He was a stalwart on Zone Coverage, and the Bears are more of a zone coverage team, so that really made sense. Plus, he has the chance to be mentored by Lindblad to improve his game. There ara a lot of people that love this pick for the Bears, and this is for good reason. 

NNN Grade: A+
NNN Analytics Grade: 75.17% (C) 
NNN Projection: 4th-Early 5th Round
SFA Draft Grade: 55.34
Projected Role: Backup CB - CB2

 

 

Thurston Kemp - Round 6, Pick 174

 

Once again the Bears find themselves preparing for the future. The Bears find themselves trying to ready for another player heading for a departure – and possibly sooner rather than later. Jerzy Redding is also aging, and he is on the last year of his current contract. Rather than select an immediate replacement for Redding, the Bears looked toward potential and Liberty’s selected Thurston Kemp. On paper, it feels more of a “learn from a veteran” pick than a “play to our strength” pick. Kemp is more suited for the man coverage role rather than a zone coverage role, but Kemp has the opportunity to sit behind Redding and improve his zone game. This will be interesting to see how this pick plays out not only in the season, but also for the future. 

NNN Grade: A
NNN Analytics Grade: 67.34% (D+) 
NNN Projection: 6th-7th Round
SFA Draft Grade: 55.34
Projected Role: Backup FS

 

 

Alex Harris  - Round 7, Pick 206

 

The last pick of the Bears was actually an opportunity for them to improve on a position – despite waiting on the last round to improve on the position. The fullback position already has a starter in the form of Lucas Walford. But the new ownership was very unhappy on how well he has been playing, and felt like they can improve the position. Enter Alex Harris. He is a true speedster, seems much better at handling the rock than Walford, and a decent blocker. Truly, he seems to be a huge upgrade over what they have at fullback. However, the Bears must be careful that this pick does not backfire on them, but right now the odds looks decent that it does not. 

NNN Grade: A-
NNN Analytics Grade: 71.99% (C-) 
NNN Projection: 5th-7th Round
SFA Draft Grade: 57.56
Projected Role: Starter FB

A new owner means new strategies. And the draft is no exception. nemolee.exe seems fine with his picks, and there is a chance they will come out as future stars in the NFL. However, that is not a given, and these players would have to work hard for it. Regardless on how this draft class plays, there is no doubt that this draft was no less than good for the first-year owner as he helps this team take it to an NFC North title and beyond. 

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