ESPN NFL Draft analysts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay joined forces in a combined 2023 NFL Mock Draft Monday, and the results for the Chicago Bears were solid.
The draft gurus rotated selections for the first three rounds of the 2023 draft. Mel Kiper ended up with the Chicago Bears’ first three picks, while Todd McShay was left with the Bears’ lone third-rounder.
Kiper did a nice job, landing Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski for the Bears in the first round. There’s a chance Chicago will trade back as rumors of talks with the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to bubble. But for this mock draft, Mel Kiper stays put at No. 9.
“I’ve gone back and forth on which offensive lineman the Bears will take here, but Skoronski is the best on my board (No. 8 overall), even though I like him a little more as a guard,” Kiper wrote. “Chicago needs a right tackle, which is why I projected Darnell Wright here in my two-round mock. I’d be confident in Skoronski’s ability to learn the position.”
With all due respect to Kiper, I’m not sure this is how the actual draft will go. He’s correct in his suggestion that the Bears need a right tackle, and I think Paris Johnson Jr., who goes 14th to the New England Patriots, is the better fit.
