Despite only being four games into the 2022 NFL season, it's pretty easy to identify the Chicago Bears' biggest needs in the upcoming offseason: offensive line and wide receiver.
The good news for general manager Ryan Poles (and Bears fans) is Chicago will have the most money to spend on those premium positions in free agency and will have a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Remember, this time last year, the Bears' salary cap was in bad shape, and they didn't have a first-rounder in the "22 draft because of the trade for Justin Fields.
Poles has a chance to flip this roster in one offseason. And he'll need to be aggressive to gain the trust and confidence of the fans. We're seeing in real-time the deficiencies in the roster that were known by anyone who has paid attention to this team since the end of last season. The lack of talent around Fields -- namely the offensive line and pass-catchers -- was as obvious in February as it is now. Poles was conservative in his first offseason, however, and didn't take any big swings to fix the obvious problem areas.
That'll change in a few months.
MORE: Chicago Bears Mock Drafts
One way Poles can level up the offense is through the NFL Draft, and in the latest 2023 Mock Draft by USA Today's Luke Easterling, the Bears do just that. They land Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan with the ninth overall pick.