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Chicago Bears draft grades for 2023 NFL Draft. Here's the expert analysis

Journal Star

The has concluded, and the brought in a new batch of young players.

Let's take a look at how analysts graded what and the Bears have done. Here we go:

Bears draft column:Bad news, Bears fans! Ryan Poles' draft impressed, but Chicago destined for NFC North cellar

and , NFL.com: Bears Draft Grade 鈭 B+

Reuter gave the Bears an A for drafting Tennessee offensive tackle . But after adding Florida defensive lineman , Miami cornerback and South Carolia defensive tackle , the team's overall grade started to slide.

The Bears traded their second-round pick to the Steelers聽for receiver Chase Claypool, who did not make a significant impact after joining Chicago at midseason last year. They later acquired second-round selections from Baltimore (Roquan Smith) and Carolina (trade for this year鈥檚 No. 1 overall pick), using the first on the long, athletic, powerful Dexter to improve their defensive line group. Dexter and Pickens must be more consistent in the NFL. Chicago wisely聽parted with a fifth-round pick聽to move up for Stevenson, a physical outside defender with the speed to stay with top receivers.

Chad Reuter, NFL.com

(Roschon) Johnson will walk in the door as an NFL-caliber special-teamer and will be a popular figure in that locker room. Coaches love his work ethic and selfless nature. Had he played at any other school, Johnson would have been featured far more. A really nice player who runs hard.

I mentioned to an ex-Bears scout a few months ago that I thought (Tyler) Scott fit what the Bears might target in this draft. But we assumed it would be a round earlier. He's a really good speed option to keep opening up the pass game for聽Justin Fields.

Who is ready for a Noah Sewell vs.聽Penei Sewell聽collision when the Bears and Lions meet? (Perhaps on a聽David Montgomery聽run.) The younger Sewell is a thickly built, two-down linebacker who lacks twitchy athleticism but can bring some thump to his hits.

We got in on Smith back in January and liked what we saw. He runs well with respectable length and even came on as a "cat" blitzer in 2022. Injuries have followed him for years, though, and he's a bit older at 24.

Another player I have not yet watched college tape on, (Travis) Bell reportedly had a solid pro-day performance but will need to overcome a lack of length.

A downhill, hard-hitting safety, (Kendall) Williamson tested well but doesn't always arrive at the ball on time. He has the traits to make a roster.

Eric Edholm, NFl..com

: Bears Draft Grade 鈭 A

Cummings' least favorite pick was Dexter at No. 53, netting a C+ in the second round. But all other grades were B+ or higher, including an A for landing Pickens at the top of the third round. A third B+ was given for selecting . The additions of and are worthy of an A. Even the selection of pulls an A- from Cummings.

What makes Wright鈥檚 game so appealing? He鈥檚 a 6鈥5鈥, 330-pound mauler with smooth recovery footwork and violent hands. He鈥檚 a high-level pass protector out of the gate, who also has the core strength, width, torque, and finisher鈥檚 mentality to clear lanes as a run blocker. Chicago secures a premier position here and sets the stage for a massive improvement in 2023.

This is a bit rich for Dexter, who graded just inside the top 100 on my board. The value at DT, in general, wasn鈥檛 great at this pick, and the Bears might have been better served targeting an edge rusher. That said, Dexter does present appeal with his physical potential.

Again, I would鈥檝e preferred EDGE here from a positional standpoint, but Stevenson is a very good value deal at this point. He was a top-50 prospect on my board, and he offers very exciting upside with his unique frame and athletic profile. Stevenson has some of the most abrupt explosiveness out of transitions in this CB class, and he has a strong frame with great length.

Pickens is a former five-star recruit who exudes natural talent. He plays around 6鈥4鈥, 300 pounds. Not only does he wear that weight well, but he also has elite proportional length, with arms over 34鈥 long. In run defense, Pickens acquires leverage well and can shed blocks with ruthless torque, and as a pass rusher, his combined burst, agility, and hand force can be difficult to handle.

The Bears could have dipped into the remaining EDGE pool here, but Roschon Johnson is a quality pick. He鈥檚 a superb rotational RB on Day 1 with his hard-charging style, receiving ability, and blocking utility. At his size 鈥 around 6鈥0鈥, 220 pounds 鈥 Johnson鈥檚 a slasher as an athlete, and there鈥檚 reason to believe he can thrive with added volume.

Tyler Scott聽is a top-100 prospect on my board. He鈥檚 primarily a vertical threat who needs to keep refining his stem work in the short and intermediate ranges, but Scott鈥檚 speed can be deadly for defenses. And with Darnell Mooney鈥檚 contract expiring in 2024, Scott provides security and a valuable sparkplug in the rotation.

This is classic 鈥減laying the board鈥 from Chicago. The Bears don鈥檛 have a need at LB, with Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Jack Sanborn comprising the starting unit. But at this point,聽Noah Sewell鈥檚 natural size-speed combination might be worth the dart throw. He has plenty of room to refine his game beyond the measurements, but the upside is real here.

There were a few higher-rated cornerbacks on my board, but I鈥檓 a big fan of adding聽Terell Smith聽here, nonetheless. Smith was a standout at the Shrine Bowl. He has a phenomenal build at 6鈥0 陆鈥 and 204 pounds, with near-33鈥 arms. At the same time, he鈥檚 a fleet-footed athlete with easy transitioning ability and 4.41 speed. With Jaylon Johnson entering a contract year, this is a prudent future-minded move.

Most Round 7 selections are akin to dart throws, and this dart throw is more intriguing than most. Travis Bell has an eye-catching physical skill set. ... He鈥檚 strong, explosive, and has the traits to be a disruptive 3-tech in Chicago鈥檚 scheme with more development.

Kendall Williamson聽likely factors in as a special-teams player for Chicago. He wasn鈥檛 overly productive at Stanford, but he does have an ideal physical profile for a special-teams role. ... Special teams aren鈥檛 flashy, but it鈥檚 important to have players who can fill that role.

Ian Cummings, Pro Football Network

: Bears Draft Grade 鈭 B

Stevenson was Iyer's favorite pick so far by the Bears, basically calling the pick a boon for the secondary. He was mostly disappointed in the first-round selection of Wright, noting players he liked better being available. However, he doesn't dispute the big offensive tackle filling a very important need.

The Bears fill their massive need for a pass-protecting left tackle for Justin Fields, but it鈥檚 not Johnson, Peter Skoronski or even Broderick Jones. He rose up boards late by showing teams more athleticism in his powerful frame, but should have gone later in the round vs. the other available tackles. ... The Bears needed to beef up the position (DL) with a run stuffer and as a bonus, Dexter has some untapped explosive upside shooting into the backfield. ... The Bears continue their solid defensive haul with a big, attacking corner (Stevenson) to help out a lot of their issues in coverage behind a revamped pass rush. ... The Bears are really looking to upgrade the athleticism and quickness in their defensive line rebuild but it鈥檚 a little odd they took Pickens after just getting the similar Dexter in the previous round out of the SEC.

Vinnie Iyer, The Sporting News

: Bears Draft Grade 鈭 B-

Gresham isn't finding the quality everyone else is in the Bears draft, especially in Stevenson at cornerback, citing a lack of technique and patience. His favorite pick so far has been landing Pickens in the the third round, noting his burst and speed.

I like that the Bears went with offensive line, but I would have taken Peter Skoronski over him here. But, they very much needed help for Justin Fields and we saw Wright stone Will Anderson last season. It could work out. ... Dexter is built well for the interior and his consistency and health at Florida are a big plus. But overall, his athleticism and talent are average. He鈥檚 a bit slow to get off the ball, which gets him behind against the run. ... Stevenson is big and aggressive, but lacks technique and patience. He has the athleticism to be a star, but his tape doesn鈥檛 foresee that just yet. ... Pickens has the burst and speed to get leverage on offensive lineman, but his size is a concern in the NFL. If he were 30 pounds heavier and as quick as he is, he鈥檇 have went in the first round. As it is, he should be able compete and work to build strength and size, but it鈥檚 not a given that he won鈥檛 lose some of what makes him so good.

Johnson is a power back who produces extra yards by running through tackles. He鈥檚 not very creative, but he does find ways to get those extra yards. There鈥檚 a real chance this backfield is up for grabs, so Johnson should at least get a chance to lead and his pass blocking skills will help. ...

Chet Gresham, DraftKings Nation

and : Bears Draft Grade 鈭 B

The tandem liked the move up for Stevenson and appreciated the offensive tackle pick in the first round, but did feel there were better options than Wright.聽Adding Johsnon at running back earned an A, helping boost their grade.

Wright is a flexible tackle who has blindside potential but is capable of bringing immediate value on the right side across from 2022 rookie overachiever Braxton Jones.聽... I believe there were better options than Wright available, but this is a talented prospect and a common sense pick for a rising franchise.

Dexter only played two years of high school football, so in terms of a still-growing prospect, this is a solid pick. ... Peter Skoronski is an athletic tackle who has kept his quarterback clean. He can play every position up front, though his short arms may have him end up at guard.

Christian D'Andrea, For The Win, USA Today 蜜桃情人

(Stevenson)鈥檚 a plus-player in coverage with stellar make-up speed and is a problem for receivers trying to get free in press-man. Cornerbacks often struggle to be on an island at first, but that probably won鈥檛 be an issue for Stevenson.

Drafting Pickens means Chicago almost finishes its complete overhaul of a defensive line that was gutted specifically for tanking (wink, wink).

Robert Zeglinski, For The Win, USA Today 蜜桃情人

The Bears add a mid-round gem of a running back in Johnson, who聽didn鈥檛 get as much limelight due to playing behind the draft鈥檚 top running back Bijan Robinson, but he will fit in well in Chicago. Johnson runs hard, and possesses a good balance of power and elusiveness.

Jarrett Bailey, Bearswire, USA Today 蜜桃情人

Scott is an absolute speedster (4.32 40-yard dash) who will present a vertical threat for quarterback Justin Fields. Scott averaged 44.6 yards per touchdown catch in college, according to聽, and he has all of the makings of a big-play threat in this Bears offense.

Sewell, a three-year starter at Oregon, has the potential to be a steal for the Bears. He鈥檚 a high-motor, hard-hitting linebacker, who will provide solid depth on this Bears defense.

The Bears added depth to the secondary with Smith, who has a nice combination of size (6-1, 204-pounds), speed (4.41), and length (32 7/8). Smith has plenty of upside and could prove to be a late-round steal for Chicago.

Alyssa Barbieri, Bearswire, USA Today 蜜桃情人

: Bears Draft Grade: B-

Using a scale that uses terms like "elite," "very good," "good," "average," and "below average," the staff at Pro Football Focus felt the Bears have been pretty average thus far. In fact, the only player not receiving an average grade was Stevenson, who they have locked in at good.

Wright fills a need for the Bears, but he is just the 22nd-ranked player on the聽PFF draft board. He produced a PFF grade of just 71.4 in 2022 but has some really good reps on tape where he just overpowers people. He allowed just eight total pressures in 2022.

Dexter is young at just over 21 years of age. He offered very little as a pass-rusher in 2022, with just a 55.2 grade, but his explosiveness is evident. ... (Stevenson)鈥檚 not an elite athlete at the position, which is likely why he鈥檚 a mid-second-round player, but he does have the size and production to make this an intriguing pick. ... Pickens put up an 11.5% pass-rush win rate last season, with his 91st-percentile broad jump showing up on tape.聽The Bears鈥 defensive interior ranked 32nd in the league in PFF grade last season, so the team is investing a lot to change that.

Staff, PFF.com

2023 NFL draft:Best available players 2023: Notable names still on board for Day 3

Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft picks by round

  • Round 1, Pick 10 (from Philadelphia): Darnell Wright, OT, .
  • Round 2, Pick 53 (from Baltimore): , DL, .
  • Round 2, Pick 56 (from Jacksonville): , CB, .
  • Round 3, Pick 64: , DT, .
  • Round 4, Pick 115 (from New Orleans): , RB, .
  • Round 4, Pick 133 (from Philadelphia): , WR, .
  • Round 5, Pick 148 (from New England): , LB, .
  • Round 5, Pick 165 (from New Orleans): , CB, .
  • Round 7, Pick 218: , DT, .
  • Round 7, Pick 258*: , S, .

*Compensatory selection

Chris Sims is a digital producer for the Journal Star. Follow him on Twitter:聽.