With 2023 NFL training camps on the horizon, we’re starting to get an idea of how 2023 NFL draft classes will impact each roster this season.

Let’s look at the Chicago Bears, breaking down the most likely instant-impact rookies from each class, while also providing some insight into why certain early picks may not see the field.

These insights are an excerpt from Warren Sharp’s 500+ page book “2023 Football Preview” which is now available for download.

In the book, you can find a comprehensive breakdown of the rookie class for all 32 NFL teams by draft guru Ryan McCrystal.

Who are the Chicago Bears rookies?

• Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee | Round 1, Pick 10
• Gervon Dexter Sr, DT, Florida | Round 2, Pick 53
• Tyrique Stevenson, CB, Miami | Round 2, Pick 56
• Zacch Pickens, DT, South Carolina | Round 3, Pick 64
• Roschon Johnson, RB, Texas | Round 4, Pick 115
• Tyler Scott, WR, Cincinnati | Round 4, Pick 133
• Noah Sewell, LB, Oregon | Round 5, Pick 148
• Terell Smith, CB, Minnesota | Round 5, Pick 165
• Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw State | Round 7, Pick 218
• Kendall Williamson, DB, Stanford | Round 7, Pick 258

Chicago Bears Draft Class Grade:

The Bears received a B+ rookie class draft grade from PFF, a B+ from ESPN, and a B+ from NFL Network.

Which Bears Rookies Will Make An Impact?

The Bears reached to fill a need with their first selection, trading down one slot before drafting Darnell Wright (first round). Wright should start immediately at right tackle, but there are fair concerns about his readiness to transition to the pro game.

Tennessee quarterbacks took a traditional dropback of three or more steps on just 15% of dropbacks last year, the lowest rate in the nation by a wide margin and far below the NFL average of 58%.

As a result, Wright had just 80 snaps in traditional pass protection last season. Wright may offer an upgrade in the long run, but immediate expectations should be limited as he has a steeper learning curve than others.

Gervon Dexter (second round) and Zacch Pickens (third round) are both athletic interior linemen who have pass rush potential but had inconsistent performances in college.

Dexter flashed decent production in 2021, with an interior pressure rate of 8.5%, but that number dropped to 6.0% in 2022.

Pickens similarly has a minimal track record as a pass rusher but for different reasons. South Carolina played him out of position with 39% of his pass-rush snaps coming from the nose tackle position.

Tyrique Stevenson (second round) is an outside corner with ideal length, but he also has experience in the slot. Stevenson blossomed in 2022, finally showing off some on-ball production.

Based on route-adjusted metrics, Stevenson’s ball-hawk rate improved each of the last three seasons, peaking at an impressive 65% above expected in 2022.

Roschon Johnson (fourth round) is essentially a younger version of D’Onta Foreman, and the two will compete for carries along with the more explosive Khalil Herbert.

At 6-foot-0, 219 pounds, Johnson is a load to bring down. He averaged 7.1 broken or missed tackles forced per 20 carries last season, leading the Big 12.

Based on the addition of Velus Jones last year and now Tyler Scott (fourth round), the Bears appear to be searching for more dynamic weapons after the catch.

Over the last two seasons, Scott generated 32% more yards after the catch than expected, based on route-adjusted metrics. In his final two years at Tennessee, Jones was 31% above expected.

Noah Sewell (fifth round) adds some depth at linebacker, but it’s a crowded room. The Bears primarily operated out of a 4-2-5 alignment (59% of snaps), so there are limited snaps to go around. Sewell is at his best playing downhill against the run and has similar traits to recent free agent addition Tremaine Edmunds, so Sewell likely serves as a backup in that role.

Terrell Smith (fifth round) is a traits-based project with elite length (34-inch arms). His limited on-ball production in a zone-heavy scheme at Minnesota is a red flag, but he’ll have time to develop with no pressure to see the field early. Smith will have competition from Kendall Williamson (seventh round) who also tested well and checked in with 32-inch arms 一 clearly the Bears were looking to add some length.

Williamson, despite playing a man-heavy scheme at Stanford, dramatically outproduced Smith in terms of on-ball production. Based on route-adjusted numbers, Williamson’s ball-hawk rate was 33% above expected over the last two seasons, compared to 0.1% above expected for Smith.

Travis Bell (seventh round) was one of the more surprising names to come off the board, especially as the Bears’ third interior lineman. At 6-foot-0, 310 pounds with moderate athletic testing numbers, he might be better suited as a nose tackle than Dexter and Pickens.

Ryan Poles took some risks in this class, reaching for a right tackle in the top 10 and then double-dipping on interior linemen with questionable production on Day 2. However, he did well to trade down multiple times and turn this into a 10-man class, giving him room for error and a lot of bodies to fill out a roster that remains in rebuilding mode.