New Frontrunner Emerges as Bears’ Top Draft Prospect

The Chicago Bears are keeping their intentions for the 9th overall pick close to the vest, but there are strong indications that one prospect is the leader in the clubhouse.

A logical place to begin deciphering general manager Ryan Poles‘ plans for the pick is to consider his team’s needs. The two spots of greatest need are the offensive and defensive lines. The next factor to consider is the talent expected to still be available after eight names have been called. Finally, one must examine the team’s actions over its words. In this context, that means taking a hard look at all the players with whom Chicago has already met multiple times with nearly two weeks still remaining before draft night.

When considering all those factors, it appears clear that the Bears are most likely to select left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State at No. 9 come Thursday night, April 27.

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Johnson Among 4 Prospects Bears Have Met With Twice

Matt Berklan of On Tap Sports Net reported that as of Monday, April 10, Chicago had already met with four prospects on at least two occasions. Those players are as follows:

• Left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State
• Defensive tackle Jalen Carter of Georgia
• Edge defender Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech
• Wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba of Ohio State

Three of the four prospects fit with the Bears’ biggest needs, leaving Smith-Njigba as the odd man out. That shouldn’t preclude the wideout’s inclusion in the discussion of serious contenders to be drafted at No. 9, but it definitely slots him last among the four aforementioned players.

Carter is viewed by the majority of experts as the most talented prospect in the entire 2023 draft class. He has fallen from the top of some boards due to recent off-field issues and conditioning concerns, while a mad rush for a handful of top-rated quarterbacks is also likely to drop Carter even further.

That said, it is highly unlikely the Bears will pass on Carter should he fall all the way to No. 9. However, neither Mel Kiper Jr. nor Todd McShay of ESPN predict Carter will tumble all that distance. Both project the Seattle Seahawks will pick the standout 3-technique defensive tackle 5th overall.

That leaves Wilson and Johnson as the most likely options for Chicago four selections later. The Bears will probably draft players along both the offensive line and the defensive edge this year, as Poles currently has 10 picks at his disposal and potentially more on the way.

Whichever position the Bears forego at No. 9, though, is likely to be addressed in free agency or by way of a trade. There are more viable edge rushers available via those avenues, such as free agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue or current Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith, than there are offensive linemen. As such, Johnson makes the most sense for the Bears from a need and availability standpoint as opposed to Wilson.

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Bears Could Take Homegrown Talent Peter Skoronski at No. 9

In their most recent mock drafts, neither Kiper nor McShay have the Bears selecting Johnson at No. 9, though they both predict Chicago will look to an offensive tackle.

Kiper has the Bears selecting Darnell Wright of Tennessee as the first offensive lineman off the board, while he has dropped Johnson to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 19th pick. McShay has the Bears taking left tackle Peter Skoronski of Northwestern 9th overall and the New York Jets scooping up Johnson at No. 13.

Skoronski was the leader in the clubhouse for Chicago in the immediate aftermath of the Bears’ decision to trade the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers. Poles has since put voice behind the notion that the team values the notion of drafting homegrown talent, which seems to favor Skoronski even more so.

Should Chicago heighten its interest in Skoronski through public action, such as hosting another meeting with him, then perhaps Skoronski will take the mantle of the favorite to be picked by the Bears at No. 9. Until then, it appears likely that Chicago is looking at offensive tackle with its first-round pick and that Johnson is the player in whom the team has invested the most time scouting.

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