The Chicago Bears are finally entering their bye week, giving the players a much-needed chance to rest up and decompress from the stress of the season. This seems as good of a time as any to look at Chicago's rookie class from 2023 and how they've played so far.
Are there disappointments? Surprises? Let's hand out some grades.
Of course, these grades are not final evaluations of these players. They will hopefully have long careers ahead of them with room to grow. But I graded them after the first six games of the season, and they've played another six games since then, so it's an excellent time to see how they've progressed.
Darnell Wright, RT
If you only listened to national media, you would think Wright has been a disappointment as a rookie. Pro Football Focus has him graded at just a 60.6 so far, and CBS Sports recently did a 2023 re-draft, knocking Wright back to 17th overall and giving the Bears offensive tackle Dawand Jones, who went in Round 4, instead.
But this is nonsense. If you actually watch Bears games, you will see that Darnell Wright has been their best offensive lineman. He's played against some of the best pass rushers in the NFL and kept them largely in check. He even handled Maxx Crosby of the Las Vegas Raiders with an injured arm.
For me, this grade is easy. He's not perfect; no rookie is. But the level to which he's performed after getting very little pre-draft buzz and facing nothing but doubts since the draft is phenomenal.
Grade: A
Gervon Dexter, DL
Dexter had a rough start to his career in Chicago, and he still hasn't exactly stuffed the stat sheet, but the vast improvements he's made over the last month have been astounding. The silly notion that he's slow off the snap has been finally put to rest now that he's had some experience in the NFL and in a system that asks him to explode through the line as quickly as possible. Dexter's showcased the tremendous speed and raw power we all saw at the NFL Combine, especially in the last two games. He's been inches away from his first sack several times in Weeks 11 and 12.
He's got a long way to go in his development, that's for sure. But the early returns are impressive, and I'm excited to see where he goes from here.
Grade: B-
Tyrique Stevenson, CB
Life is hard for rookie cornerbacks in the NFL, especially when you have a fantastic counterpart. Due to Jaylon Johnson routinely shutting down his side of the field, quarterbacks have been picking on Stevenson and putting him through a baptism by fire. He's struggled quite a bit with penalties and getting burned in coverage. But that's okay. All but the very best cornerbacks struggle as rookies. He's also had some promising performances, especially against the Detroit Lions when he recorded his first interception and forced a fumble on special teams.
It's been an up and down for Stevenson, but he appears to be trending in the right direction. His biggest problem right now, besides cleaning up some penalties, is fending off fellow rookie Terrell Smith, who appears to be gunning for a starting job of his own (more on him later).
Grade: C+
Zacch Pickens, DL
Pickens has had a fairly quiet rookie season so far. The stat sheet isn't anything to write home about, and he lacks the innate athleticism and power of fellow rookie Gervon Dexter. It's a struggle for him to get enough snaps to make a significant impact due to the talented linemen ahead of him, too. Still, he's got a lot of potential, and I believe he's more than capable of developing into a quality starter if given enough time.
Grade: C-
Roschon Johnson, RB
Another rookie who struggles to see the field with so many quality veterans ahead of him, Johnson has still made a positive impact when he plays. He's a treat to watch in the passing game, as he provides the kind of pass-blocking and catching abilities that neither Khalil Herbert nor D'Onta Foreman have excelled at. He's averaging 4.3 yards per carry so far, but that's a little deceiving. A few big runs have skewed the average. He still has a lot of work to do, but I think he's a viable replacement for either Herbert or Foreman should the Bears choose to move on from one of the veterans in the offseason.
Grade: C
Tyler Scott, WR
I won't lie; I expected more from Scott than what he's shown so far. DJ Moore is obviously the alpha in the wide receiver room, but after him? There are no guaranteed starting spots. Even Darnell Mooney has struggled again this year, but Scott has not taken advantage of this opportunity. He's totaled just 81 yards on ten catches and has yet to find the endzone. He's also made some critical mistakes, including a lost fumble against Detroit and a dropped pass from Justin Fields that would have iced that game.
It's been a disappointing year so far for Scott.
Grade: D
Noah Sewell, LB
Yet again, a promising rookie is buried on the depth chart because there's too much talent ahead of him.
With Tremaine Edmunds, TJ Edwards, and Jack Sanborn balling out, it's hard for Sewell to get much playing time. He's also missed the last two games with an injury, which doesn't help his case (hopefully, the bye week gives him enough time to heal). He's not likely to see much more playing time this year, but the rookie is undeniably talented, and his athleticism is top-shelf. I have high hopes for him going forward.
Grade: C
Terell Smith, CB
Smith has been a surprising delight for the Chicago Bears. He missed several games with Mono earlier in the year, but he's a force on the field when he plays. He racks up tackles, has forced a fumble, and recovered one as well. His coverage has been excellent for a fifth-round rookie. He's trending up.
Smith has been nearly as impressive as Stevenson this year despite being selected three rounds later. Assuming the Bears extend Jaylon Johnson (and they absolutely should) and with Kyler Gordon locking down the nickel-cornerback spot, there's room for just one more starter. This is a very good problem for the Bears, and Smith vs. Stevenson will be one of the really fun 2024 training camp battles to watch.
Grade: B+
Tyson Bagent, QB
Tyson Bagent stepped in for Justin Fields while he recovered from his thumb injury and played reasonably well for an undrafted rookie out of a Division II school. He had an excellent outing against the Las Vegas Raiders in a win, then played a rough game against the Los Angeles Chargers in a loss. He almost had a statement win over the New Orleans Saints, but the Bears collapsed in the fourth quarter. He had a lot to do with that collapse, too.
He had a rough day, again, in his last start of the season (so far) against the Carolina Panthers, but he did just enough to keep the Bears ahead and iced the game with a gutsy pass to Mooney.
It doesn't look like he'll be the next Kurt Warner or Tony Romo, at least not for the Bears. Chicago will either continue with Fields in 2024 or, if they end up with the first overall draft pick, they'll select an insanely talented prospect. Still, Bagent is a quality backup who guided the Bears to an even split in his time as a starter (2-2), which is all you can ask of your backup quarterback. He's a terrific find by GM Ryan Poles.
Grade: B-
How would you grade the Chicago Bears' 2023 rookie class? Sign up as a Premium Bears Talker and comment below with your grades for every rookie!
