The Chicago Bears had 10 picks to work with going into this year’s draft, some of which were acquired by previous trades. After several draft day trades, the Bears ended up back with 10 picks and some extra draft capital for the future. In this article, I will grade the Bears’ individual draft picks, the trades made during the draft, and the overall haul brought in by Ryan Poles in this draft class. I will also preview the current picks that the Bears will have in the 2024 draft.
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Round 1 Pick 10 (draft day trade with PHI): Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee
The Chicago Bears traded the 2023 #9 overall pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2023 #10 overall pick and a 2024 4th rounder. The Eagles picked Jalen Carter with the ninth pick and the Bears took Darnell Wright with the 10th. A lot of Bears fans are upset that GM Ryan Poles didn’t take Carter, but Poles is not a guy who deals with character issues. Poles basically picked up an extra 4th rounder for a guy he wasn’t even going to draft. With that being said, Wright is a plug and play right tackle and fills a need on the offensive line. He let up zero sacks throughout all of 2022 and will be a great addition.
My grade: A
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Round 2 Pick 53 (previous trade with BAL): Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida
The Bears acquired the 53rd pick from the Ravens in the Roquan Smith trade during the middle of last season. They selected Gervon Dexter, the defensive tackle out of Florida. Dexter primarily plays between the guards and is more of a developmental project with high potential upside. He is pretty slow off the snap, but Head Coach Matt Eberflus and company probably feel like they can work with him and utilize him to fit the scheme better. Dexter fills a need at the end of the day, but I feel like there were better options on the board still.
My Grade: C
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Round 2 Pick 56 (draft day trade with JAX): Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami (FL)
The Bears traded up five spots to #56 with the Jags for the #61 overall pick and the #136 overall pick in the 5th round. They selected corner Tyrique Stevenson out of the University of Miami, someone who many saw as a top 40 talent. The Bears got him late in the second. The value for this pick is amazing, and Stevenson can develop into one of the league’s top press corners. He fills a depth need, fits the defensive mold well as a bigger corner, and could be a day 1 starter. I love this pick.
My Grade: A
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Round 3 Pick 64 (owned pick): Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina
In the first pick of the third round, the Bears took defensive tackle Zacch Pickens out of South Carolina. Out of high school, Pickens was ranked higher than the likes of Jalen Carter. Unfortunately, his college career didn’t pan out how he hoped. A theme with these Ryan Poles picks is high relative athletic scores. Pickens’ relative athletic score was 9.19, very high for his size. Poles seems to like taking chances on athletic prospects. This pick adds more depth to the D-line and I like the upside here. Hopefully he is utilized in a way to be productive from the get-go.
My Grade: B
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Round 4 Pick 115 (draft day trade with NO): Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas
To open up Day 3, the Bears traded back 12 spots with the New Orleans Saints. They received the 115th overall pick in the 4th round and the 165th overall pick in the 5th. Roschon Johnson, the running back out of Texas and a top 60 talent, fell right into the Bears’ lap at 115, and this was a no-brainer best-player-available selection. Johnson was the backup to the amazing Bijan Robinson at Texas, so he never really got the chance to shine. Johnson will be a productive back for years to come.
My Grade: A
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Round 4 Pick 133 (previous trade with PHI): Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati
The Bears owned this pick because of the mid-season Robert Quinn trade. Tyler Scott was a speed demon in college and Cincinnati’s #1 wideout. Scott was ranked as a top 50 talent in this class, and somehow he fell to the late 4th round. This best-player available pick adds depth to the already-stacked wide receiver room and will certainly provide for some intense competition, especially with Velus Jones Jr. Scott could also provide useful in the return game and as a specialist.
My Grade: A
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Round 5 Pick 148 (previous trade with BAL): Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon
The Bears acquired this 5th rounder from the Ravens in the Roquan Smith trade last season. Noah Sewell is the younger brother of star Lions offensive tackle Penei Sewell. Noah, a true junior out of Oregon, was a consistent linebacker with great speed and size. He adds depth to the newly beefed-up linebacking core. He slid to the 5th round and was definitely worth taking for his consistent college production. It will be interesting to see if the coaching staff tries Sewell out at edge since he has the measurables to do so.
My Grade: B
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Round 5 Pick 165 (draft day trade with NO): Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota
This pick was the second of the two the Bears picked up from their earlier trade with the Saints. Terell Smith is a long and speedy corner that fits the mold of Matt Eberflus’ and Defensive Coordinator Alan Williams’ defense, being a bigger corner. I don’t mind the pick, especially as an off-ball defender. I do think that Poles could’ve picked up another interior offensive lineman such as Luke Wypler, who was still on the board, since he already addressed the defensive back needs with Tyrique Stevenson earlier in the draft.
My Grade: C
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Round 7 Pick 218 (owned pick): Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw State
Travis Bell out of Kennesaw State adds defensive line depth to a rebuilding unit. I think that he was drafted to add some competition on the line and fight for a roster spot with some of the other new draftees like Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. I don’t think you can really go wrong with a 7th round pick, but he will probably end up on the practice squad alongside the other 7th rounders and undrafted free agents.
My Grade: C
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Round 7 Pick 258 (owned compensatory pick): Kendal Williamson, S, Stanford
Again, you can’t really go wrong with a 7th round pick. Kendall Williamson is a depth pick to add to the defensive backfield. Interestingly enough, the Bears have yet to re-sign free agent and longtime Bear Deandre Houston-Carson, so maybe they will let him walk and allow Williamson to battle for a roster spot with last year’s 7th rounder Elijah Hicks to be the third and fourth safeties behind Jaquon Brisker and Eddie Jackson.
My Grade: B
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Overall draft grade: B+
All in all, I would give Ryan Poles and company a solid B+ with this draft. I think that almost every need was met with the exception of an edge rusher. It is worth mentioning that Matt Eberflus said there is a very real possibility that the Bears will sign a veteran free agent edge rusher after the draft (Yannick Ngakoue is still available, someone who has worked in Eberflus’ scheme with the Colts). I feel like Poles was able to match value with where he picked guys very well, especially on Day 3. It will be interesting to see how Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens pan out over the next two years, being the only real question marks from this draft. I am confident in saying that the Bears are significantly better as a franchise now than they were at the end of the 2022 season. In Poles we trust.
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2024 Draft Capital
The 2024 draft capital is significant to what GM Ryan Poles has done to ensure flexibility in the future and the chance to keep adding quality players over the years. He has really done a great job with the rebuild since he stepped foot at Halas Hall back in January 2022. Here are all 8 of the current picks that the Bears own for the 2024 NFL Draft:

R1 (owned)
R1 (via Panthers)*
R2 (owned)
R3 (owned)
R4 (owned)
R4 (via Eagles)**
R5 (owned)
R6 (owned)
-No R7 pick***
-The Bears also own the Panthers’ 2025 2nd round pick*
*Acquired in 2023 pre-draft trade for #1 overall pick
**Acquired in 2023 draft day trade for #9 overall pick
***Pick traded to Patriots in 2022 for N’Keal Harry