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With the Bears adding Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens in the NFL draft, here’s a look at where Chicago’s defensive line depth stands.
The Chicago Bears shored up their defensive line with the additions of Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens on Day 2 of the 2023 NFL draft.
Dexter and Pickens will serve as key rotational pieces along the defensive interior — alongside veterans Justin Jones and Andrew Billings — and the hope is they emerge as the future at defensive tackle.
With the additions of Dexter and Pickens, here’s a look at the Bears’ defensive line depth:
The Bears have traded the top pick in Round 4 of the NFL draft to the Saints.
The Chicago Bears have traded the first pick of the fourth round in the 2023 NFL draft to the New Orleans Saints, sliding back 12 spots and landing an additional 2023 selection.
Chicago is sending the 103rd pick to New Orleans in exchange for Nos. 115 (fourth round) and 165 (fifth round), according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.
The Bears now have six selections on Day 3 of the NFL draft, including two in the fourth round (Nos. 115, 133), two in the fifth round (Nos. 148, 165) and two in the seventh round (Nos. 218, 258).
#Bears trade 103 to New Orleans for 115 and 165 https://t.co/aLbpqEJqw1
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 29, 2023
General manager Ryan Poles has now made three trades in the 2023 NFL draft, including trading back one spot in the first round with the Philadelphia Eagles and trading up four spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars to select cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
And considering what we saw from Poles during his first draft last year, he might not be done.
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We’ve rounded up the grades for the Bears’ third-round selection of DT Zacch Pickens, where experts believe he’s a solid addition.
The Chicago Bears doubled down on the defensive line with the selection of South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens in the third round of the 2023 NFL draft.
The Bears had the worst defensive line in the NFL last season, and general manager Ryan Poles committed two Day 2 selections to shore up that weakness. Pickens, along with second-round defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, will serve as key rotational pieces alongside Justin Jones and Andrew Billings.
Pickens has a nice combination of explosiveness and power. He can play both 3-technique and 1-technique, bringing versatility to the interior. Pickens has a disruptive first step that helps him both against the run and as a pass rusher.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Pickens from various media outlets, where experts believe it’s a solid addition.
We’ve rounded up the grades for the Bears’ second-round selection of CB Tyrique Stevenson, where experts were divided about the addition.
The Chicago Bears shored up the defensive backfield with the selection of Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Chicago had a need to fill at cornerback alongside starters Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, and they traded up four spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars to make sure they got their guy in Stevenson.
Stevenson is an athletic and physical cornerback who will be a solid fit in a secondary that also includes Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Stevenson has played both outside and nickel, but GM Ryan Poles seemed to indicate that his best fit is outside.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Stevenson from various media outlets, where experts were divided about the move.
The Bears doubled down on the defensive line with the selection of Zacch Pickens in the third round. Here’s how we graded the pick.
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The Chicago Bears selected South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens with the 64th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
General manager Ryan Poles doubled down at defensive tackle with Pickens, alongside second-round pick Gervon Dexter. And considering Chicago had the worst defensive line in the league last year, it makes a ton of sense.
Pickens has a nice combination of explosiveness and power. He can play both 3-technique and 1-technique, bringing versatility to the interior. Pickens has a disruptive first step that helps him both against the run and as a pass rusher.
Last season at South Carolina, Pickens totaled 42 tackles, four tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 12 games with the Gamecocks. He also attended the Senior Bowl, where Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy served as head coach of the American Team.
Pickens will serve as a key rotational piece in Matt Eberflus’ defense, where he’ll be asked to help rush the passer and stop the run. Dexter projects to serve as a 3-technique, which means Pickens will likely occupy the nose. Perhaps Pickens will compete for a starting job as a rookie, but he’s the future at defensive line, alongside Dexter.
Grade: B+
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We’ve rounded up the grades for the Bears’ second-round selection of DT Gervon Dexter, where most experts believe he was a solid addition.
The Chicago Bears shored up the defensive line with the selection of Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter in the second round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Chicago had the NFL’s worst defensive line last season, and general manager Ryan Poles has wasted no time addressing that in free agency and on Day 2 of the NFL draft.
Dexter brings versatility as a defensive linemen, where he can line up both at 1-technique and also play some 3-technique. That would fit what we’ve seen from the Bears this offseason, where they’ve added players who can play multiple spots. Dexter has an explosive first step that helps him create penetration and disrupt the run game.
Dexter has drawn comparisons to DeForest Buckner, with his size and athleticism, and Matt Eberflus might view Dexter as Chicago’s version on this defensive line.
Here’s a collection of all of the grades for Dexter from various media outlets, where most experts believe it was a solid addition by the Bears.
The Bears have five picks on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft. Here’s where they’ll be picking on Saturday:
The 2023 NFL draft has been an entertaining ride so far, and there’s still one day of action with Rounds 4 through 7.
The Bears added three impact defensive players on Day 2 of the draft — Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.
Heading into the final day of the draft, Chicago has five draft picks remaining, including two in the fourth round, a fifth-rounder and two in the seventh round.
Here’s where the Bears will be picking on Day 3:
Bears general manager Ryan Poles still has some work to do with the roster, notably at edge rusher, which remains the team’s biggest need. There are some solid options on the board, as well as some top prospects at other positions that could be addressed, including center, wide receiver, running back and safety.
Not to mention, we could see Poles go on a trade-back spree on Day 3, which wouldn’t be unlike last year.
The 2023 NFL draft concludes today at 11 a.m. CT.
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The 2023 NFL draft concludes Saturday. Here’s a look at the full draft order for Rounds 4 through 7.
The 2023 NFL draft is upon us, and teams have been bolstering their rosters with some of the nation’s best talent in college football.
The Chicago Bears had three picks on Day 2 of the draft, where they added defensive tackle Gervon Dexter, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens. Heading into Saturday, Chicago has five selections — including two in the fourth (Nos. 103, 133), one in the fifth (No. 148) and two in the seventh round (Nos. 218, 258).
The Bears still have some needs to address heading into the final day of the draft, including edge rusher, and they could look to add some depth at center, wide receiver and safety.
Here is a look at the complete order of picks for Rounds 4-7, which concludes today at 11 a.m. CT.
Here’s a look at some of the best available players for the Bears on Day 3 of the 2023 NFL draft.
The 2023 NFL draft concludes today with Rounds 4 through 7, where NFL teams will look to find some late-round steals.
The Chicago Bears went all defense on Day 2 with the additions of defensive tackle Florida Gervon Dexter, Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson and South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.
Heading into Day 3, Chicago has five selections — two in the fourth round (Nos. 103, 133), one in the fifth round (No. 148) and two in the seventh round (Nos. 218, 258). They still have a pressing need at edge rusher and can add some depth at center, wide receiver, running back and defensive line.
Following the first three rounds, there are still some solid prospects available at several positions of need for Chicago, where general manager Ryan Poles can find some impact players in the later rounds.
Here’s a look at some of the Bears’ best available options on Day 3 of the draft:
The 2023 NFL concludes Saturday with Rounds 4-7. Here’s how to watch the action on Day 3:
The 2023 NFL draft is underway, where teams have bolstered their rosters with some of the nation’s best talent in college football.
Following a wild first round on Thursday, the second day of the NFL Draft proved to be just as entertaining with trades galore and more chaos. And the action concludes as we head into the final day of the draft, which includes Rounds 4-7 and undrafted free agency.
Here’s how you can tune into the final day of the draft:
2023 NFL draft, Rounds 4-7
Kansas City, Mo.
Saturday, April 29, 11 a.m. CT
ABC, ESPN, NFL Network
FuboTV (try it for free)
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