REPORT: Jalen Carter won't get past Bears in 1st round of 2023 NFL Draft

According to Matt Miller, the Bears "value Jalen Carter highly." The Georgia standout won't get past their pick at No. 9 overall if he's still on the board.

"The best intel I have on the Bears? I've heard defensive tackle Jalen Carter (Georgia) won't fall past their pick at No. 9,"

The only question that remains is whether he'll be on the board when GM Ryan Poles is on the clock.

Offensive line still the projected first-round pick for Chicago Bears

According to NFL Mock Draft Database, which aggregates thousands of mock drafts across the internet, Jalen Carter's most likely destination is the Detroit Lions at No. 6 overall. It would be a worst-case scenario for the Chicago Bears as they jockey for next-gen NFC North supremacy.

Northwestern's Peter Skoronski remains the most popular pick for the Bears at No. 9, with 30% of mock drafts sending the versatile offensive lineman to Chicago in the first round. I doubt Poles will take an offensive lineman who doesn't profile as a prototypical tackle in Round 1, but if the Bears view Skoronski as an All-Pro guard, it'll be a valuation that's too hard to pass up.

Much can change between now and April 27, when the 2023 NFL Draft kicks off. It always does. Late-breaking controversies tend to shift the first-round landscape. Until then, the possibility of Jalen Carter to the Chicago Bears remains in play.