Tag: Terell Smith

Projecting the 2023 roles of Bears’ 10 rookie draft picks

Here are our projections about the roles the Bears’ 10 draft picks will serve in their rookie seasons.

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new faces to their roster during the 2023 NFL draft, where general manager Ryan Poles found some impact players and got great value.

Whether it was landing studs like Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, Tyrique Stevenson and Zacch Pickens on the first two days or finding great value on Day 3 with Roschon Johnson, Tyler Scott, Noah Sewell and Terell Smith, Poles’ second draft class has the potential to be an impactful one.

With that in mind, here are our projections about the roles that the Bears’ 10 draft picks will serve in their rookie seasons.

6 Bears ranked among 100 best NFL draft picks by ESPN

The Bears had 6 players named among ESPN’s best 100 draft picks, including three on Day 3.

NFL experts believe that the Chicago Bears had one of the best draft classes. Whether it was landing a plug-and-play starter in right tackle Darnell Wright, shoring up defensive needs at tackle and cornerback or their Day 3 haul, general manager Ryan Poles’ second draft looks extremely good on paper.

ESPN’s Matt Miller compiled a ranking of the 100 best draft picks. But it’s not a best prospects list. Rather, it incorporates value, scheme fit, need and assets gained/lost in trades.

The Bears had six players who were named to the list, including four inside the top 50. Three of the six players were also Day 3 selections, an indication Poles got immense value.

Here’s a look at those six Bears rookies:

Bears 2023 fifth-round pick: CB Terell Smith

The Bears selected CB Terell Smith in the fifth round of the NFL draft. Here’s a quick rundown on Smith:

The Chicago Bears selected Minnesota cornerback Terell Smith with the 165th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.

Here’s a quick rundown on Smith:

Height: 6-0
Weight: 204
Age: 23
From: Snellville, GA

Breakdown: Smith has the physical traits and tools to be an NFL starter, but he needs to clean up his technique and play with more violence in run support. Smith’s size and zone coverage instincts make sense for the Bears’ system. He can press and re-route receivers, but his physicality doesn’t compare to Tyrique Stevenson or Kyler Gordon. He adds depth to Chicago’s defense but shouldn’t be expected to start yet. — Nate Atkins

Dane Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at Minnesota, Smith was an outside cornerback in defensive coordinator Joe Rossi’s mixed coverage scheme. After making a splash as a true freshman for the Gophers, he was lost in the wilderness for a few years before producing his best season as a senior, leading the team in passes defended. Smith has impressive top-end speed and foot quickness that allows him to stay attached to routes, although his mirror transitions can get clunky at times. His matchup against Charlie Jones on the 2022 Purdue tape was a great example of what he does well and where he still needs to improve. Overall, Smith can be baited off course and leaves too much production on the field, but he has an intriguing blend of length, speed and physicality to match up with NFL receivers on the outside. He is a physical press-man corner prospect.”

Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Ascending cornerback with an outstanding combination of size, speed and toughness. Smith’s technique and game film improved from 2021 to 2022. He stays low and patient in his backpedal. He has above-average footwork for a cornerback his size, which allows him to mirror the release and stay connected to the deep route. He’s experienced in playing all forms of coverage, but he’s best from press and off-man. Smith is a reliable tackler with a playing disposition that matches expectations for NFL run support. The on-ball production is a little light, but the traits and talent are in place for a starting role at outside cornerback in the future or a transition to safety.”

They said it: “He can straight fly on top of having size and length, which is beautiful.” — Bears GM Ryan Poles

RAS card

Highlights

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Bears sign four rookie draft picks to contracts

The Bears signed four rookies to four-year deals, including Noah Sewell, Terell Smith, Travis Bell and Kendall Williamson.

The Chicago Bears signed four rookie draft picks to four-year contracts ahead of this weekend’s rookie minicamp.

That included fifth-round linebacker Noah Sewell and cornerback Terell Smith, as well as seventh-round defensive tackle Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.

Sewell, a three-year starter at Oregon, has the potential to be a steal for the Bears. He’s a high-motor, hard-hitting linebacker, who will provide solid depth on this Bears defense.

Smith has a nice combination of size (6-1, 204-pounds), speed (4.41), and length (32 7/8) that Matt Eberflus will love. He’s got developmental upside and could prove to be a late-round steal for Chicago.

Bell, the first player drafted from Kennesaw State in NFL history, provides depth to the defensive line. He’s the kind of high-character guy that Ryan Poles covets.

Williamson, drafted one spot before Mr. Irrelevant, was a great late-round addition. He’s a high-energy player who has real value on special teams.

The Bears have six draft picks who remain unsigned: offensive tackle Darnell Wright, defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Tyler Scott.

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Scouting reports for Bears 2023 rookie draft class

Here’s a look at scouting reports for every player in the Bears’ 2023 rookie draft class.

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new rookies to the roster during the 2023 NFL draft, where general manager Ryan Poles addressed some important needs.

That started with right tackle Darnell Wright in the first round and continued on Day 2 with defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, as well as cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.

Chicago also found great value on Day 3 with running back Roschon Johnson, wide receiver Tyler Scott, linebacker Noah Sewell, cornerback Terell Smith, defensive tackle Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.

Here’s a look at scouting reports for each of Chicago’s rookie draft class from our Nate Atkins, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein.

1 thing to know about each Bears 2023 draft pick

Get to know each member of the 2023 Bears draft class.

The dust has settled on the Chicago Bears 2023 draft class and the players selected are gearing up to get started in the rookie mini camp. The Bears and general manager Ryan Poles drafted 10 players last weekend who will hopefully help the franchise turn the corner and become relevant again sooner rather than later.

The picks were as follows:

  • Tackle Darnell Wright (first round, pick No. 10)
  • Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (second round, pick No. 53)
  • Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (second round, pick No. 56)
  • Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (third round, pick No. 64)
  • Running back Roschon Johnson (fourth round, pick No. 115)
  • Wide receiver Tyler Scott (fourth round, pick No. 133)
  • Linebacker Noah Sewell (fifth round, pick No. 148)
  • Cornerback Terell Smith (fifth round, pick No. 165)
  • Defensive tackle Travis Bell (seventh round, pick No. 218)
  • Safety Kendall Williamson (seventh round, pick No. 258)

Some players like Wright have been discussed at nauseum leading up to the draft. Other players like Smith and Bell, however, could be relatively unknown to the casual fan. Here is one thing to know about each Bears draft pick.

NFL draft: Our questionable picks from the Bears’ 2023 rookie class

Our Bears Wire staff is sharing their questionable draft picks from the 2023 rookie class.

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new rookies to the roster during the 2023 NFL draft, which included top selection, offensive tackle Darnell Wright.

General manager Ryan Poles focused primarily on defense, which makes sense given the number of holes. In all, Chicago added three defensive tackles, two cornerbacks, one offensive tackle, one running back, one wide receiver, one linebacker and one safety.

Poles has garnered praise for a solid draft. While his draft class didn’t feature any sexy picks, it addressed the team’s biggest needs and got great value on the third day of the draft.

Over the next few days, our Bears Wire staff will be sharing their thoughts about the 2023 rookie class. Next up: We share our questionable picks by Poles.

Winners and losers following the Bears 2023 draft

Who got a boost from the Bears draft class and who could lose their spot? Here are our winners and losers following the Bears 2023 draft.

The dust is finally starting to settle after the 2023 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears have 10 new players they selected over the course of three days who will hopefully become key contributors as early as this upcoming season. General manager Ryan Poles sought to fill key position groups on the team, specifically offensive and defensive line and he followed through. The picks were as follows:

  • Tackle Darnell Wright (first round, pick No. 10)
  • Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (second round, pick No. 53)
  • Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (second round, pick No. 56)
  • Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (third round, pick No. 64)
  • Running back Roschon Johnson (fourth round, pick No. 115)
  • Wide receiver Tyler Scott (fourth round, pick No. 133)
  • Linebacker Noah Sewell (fifth round, pick No. 148)
  • Cornerback Terell Smith (fifth round, pick No. 165)
  • Defensive tackle Travis Bell (seventh round, pick No. 218)
  • Safety Kendall Williamson (seventh round, pick No. 258)

Of course it’s way too early to judge how any of these players will pan out, no matter how high or low they were selected. But we can begin looking at the veterans on the roster and how this draft class affects them. Here are the winners and losers now that the 2023 Bears draft class is set.

2023 NFL draft: RAS scores for new Bears rookie class

When looking at this new crop of Bears rookies, there are some impressive RAS scores among them. Ryan Poles clearly has a type.

The Chicago Bears welcomed a new group of rookies following the 2022 NFL draft, including three defensive tackles, two cornerbacks, one offensive tackle, one running back, one wide receiver, one safety and one linebacker.

When looking at this new crop of Bears rookies, it’s clear that general manager Ryan Poles has a type. Every player Chicago drafted had a RAS score above 8.00. The Bears had an average RAS score of 8.93.

RAS — or Relative Athletic Score — was created by Kent Lee Platte and measures a player’s athletic testing to their size as well as historically. Each individual measurement is graded on a scale of 0-10 (with 10 being the highest), where each prospect matches up to those of the same position throughout history.

Here’s a quick look at the RAS scores for the Bears’ 10 draft picks.

Breaking down the Bears’ 2023 draft picks

We’re taking a closer look at the Bears’ 2023 draft class, including breakdowns, player profiles and scouting reports on the new rookies.

The Chicago Bears selected 10 players during the 2023 NFL draft, including right tackle Darnell Wright, defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, and cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith.

They also added a couple of playmakers for Justin Fields in running back Roschon Johnson and wide receiver Tyler Scott, as well as linebacker Noah Sewell and a couple of seventh-round picks in Travis Bell and safety Kendall Williamson.

Now that Chicago has its 2023 draft class in place, it’s time dive in and take a look at what the Bears have in their new rookies.

We’re taking a closer look at the Bears’ draft class, including breakdowns, player profiles, scouting reports from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and comments from the Bears on all 10 selections.