The Chicago Bears currently hold the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. There’s a chance GM Ryan Poles will trade out of that selection to add more picks to his arsenal. But if a ‘blue player’ is on the board when the Bears are on the clock, Chicago will likely stay put.
The list of potential blue players on the Chicago Bears’ draft board is short. Will Anderson (Edge, Alabama) is certainly one of them. Bijan Robinson (RB, Texas) could be one as well. Jalen Carter (DL, Georgia) will have a big grade for his on-field play but off-field concerns could impact his final evaluation. Cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez (Oregon) and Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) are also in the mix.
The Bears’ biggest NFL draft need is at offensive tackle. Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. feels like the most logical candidate for Chicago because of his prototype makeup. Georgia’s Broderick Jones’ upside as a bookend is enticing, as is Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, who offers positional versatility.
At this point in the 2023 NFL draft process, predicting who the Chicago Bears will select is a challenge. The range of candidates who could call Chicago home by the end of draft weekend is wide. But if ESPN’s analytics are accurate, Skoronski has the best odds.
At least, he has the best chance of being the ninth player picked in Round 1.
ESPN published a fantastic tool that allows fans to filter odds for each player and where they’ll be selected in the first round. Skoronski sits atop the list of prospects who will be picked at No. 9, with more than a 20% chance.
Interestingly, the next-best odds belong to Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness. The Chicago Bears’ need for an edge rusher makes this a logical outcome. Gonzalez and Witherspoon are third and fourth, respectively.
