This will continue to be a "draft the best fit on the offensive line you can find" spot. Justin Fields has shown a lot of bright flashes this preseason, but how frequent will the flashes be when we're playing for keeps? How do we get the flashes to be more frequent? By improving the cast around him. General manager Ryan Poles, as a former offensive lineman himself, will surely value the opportunity to land a pass protector for his quarterback.
The Bears have Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet as key targets for Justin Fields in Year 2, but there's not much else in their receiving corps to help the talented downfield passer turn the corner. Boutte, if available whenever Chicago picks, would be a no-brainer to raise the big-play output as the latest big-time LSU gamebreaker.
Whether Chicago uses its 2023 first-rounder on the offensive line or playmakers, it's clear that the Bears need to put more talent around Justin Fields. Boutte closed his freshman season with an SEC-record 308 receiving yards against Ole Miss and led the team in receiving yards (509) and touchdowns (nine) in an abbreviated six-game season (ankle injury). Boutte uses his outstanding speed to rack up yards after the catch in bunches.
Bears fans will want my head on a stake for selecting another defensive back instead of a wide receiver or offensive lineman to help QB Justin Fields. But this Bears regime just needs to fill its hole-ridden roster with as many building blocks as possible, and Ringo is that type of prospect. He has jaw-dropping traits, and if he continues to grow his game under Kirby Smart in 2022, then the Bears would be plopping Ringo in a defensive backfield currently occupied by promising rookies Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon. Hey, the Bears would have their day-two picks and the most projected cap space in the NFL (nearly $92 million) next year to give Fields some support. We hope.
This is a bit high for Peter Skoronski but the Bears are desperate for offensive line help. They simply cannot keep trotting out a terrible offensive line in front of a young quarterback like Justin Fields. Adding a player like Skoronski will go a long way in shoring up this unit.
As a true sophomore, Will Anderson Jr. racked up 17.5 sacks and 31 tackles for loss. For reference, Chase Young produced 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss as a junior. Anderson isn't a cheap knockoff — he's the upgrade.
Anderson is on the slighter side at 6'4" and 240 pounds but showcases elite traits that made Von Miller a Hall of Fame pass rusher: explosiveness, flexibility, length, and power. Anderson doesn't need to take another snap — he's a surefire top-five pick.
There are some scouts around the league who believe Carter has the most upside in this draft class, and he's the type of player around whom new GM Ryan Poles could build an entire defensive unit. He had just 3.0 sacks last season, but he was sharing snaps with multiple 2022 first-round picks. Carter consistently lives in the other team's backfield. A true penetrator as a 3-technique, he's a wrecking ball with high-level explosiveness, hand power and finishing ability.
