The Chicago Bears had eight picks going into the 2023 NFL draft. It included a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, two 4ths, two 5th, and a 7th. GM Ryan Poles figures to add more by trading the #1 overall pick in the coming weeks barring something unexpected. Well, his good fortune isn’t done there. The NFL recently revealed teams that will receive compensatory draft picks in the upcoming draft. These are awarded to those who lost valuable free agents last year and didn’t replace them with a similar veteran of value on the market.
They are also handed out to teams that lost minority coaches or executives to head coaching or GM positions. The Bears spent a lot in free agency last year, so their newfound pick didn’t come due to loss. Instead it was thanks to so few compensatory players being signed last year. Only 30. That means the league had two extra picks to award. Those are given to the top two teams in the current NFL draft order. The Bears are #1 overall, so they received the second-to-last pick of the 7th round (#258).
The Chicago Bears won’t look down at another pick.
Yes, it’s a 7th rounder toward the end of the draft. However, time has proven that it is never wise to shrug off picks, even in that range. Brock Purdy was the literal last pick of the 2022 draft. He guided San Francisco to the NFC championship. Ryan Fitzpatrick was the 250th pick. Wide receive Marques Colston was the 252 pick. Pro Bowlers Scott Wells and Brett Keisel went 251st and 242nd, respectively. It is possible to find good players at the end of a draft. It requires three things. The pick, good evaluating skills, and some luck.
Don’t forget Charles Leno was a 7th round pick. The Chicago Bears have had success in that round before. Never ignore the benefits of more bites at the apple. Now we wait and see how much Poles adds further to the collection. It is likely the Bears will surpass ten picks in this draft alone before the action even starts in April. They finished with 11 in 2022. So it isn’t a stretch to think Poles will want more. He knows this roster needs lots of help. This development puts him one step closer.
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