NFL Draft Day 3 recap: Chicago Bears get Justin Fields some help with early picks

The Chicago Bears were slated to start Day 3 of the NFL draft by making the day’s first pick — the 103rd overall — at Kansas City’s Union Station.

Ryan Poles had other plans.

The Bears general manager traded the first pick of the fourth round to the New Orleans Saints, moving down 12 spots to No. 115 and picking up the Saints’ pick in the fifth round (165th overall).

That gave the Bears six picks to complete their 2023 Draft Class and Poles went to work immediately on the offensive side of the ball before looking for some value in later rounds.

2023 Chicago Bears Draft Class — Rounds 1-3
1st round (No. 10) — Tennessee OT Darnell Wright — Article | Video breakdown
2nd round (No. 53) — Florida IDL Gervon Dexter Sr. — Article | Video breakdown
2nd round (No. 56) — Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson — Article | Video breakdown
3rd round (No. 64) — South Carolina IDL Zacch Pickens — Article | Video breakdown

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Saturday’s Selections

Round 4: Pick 115 — Texas RB Roschon Johnson

6-0, 219 pounds
2022 stats: Played in 12 games, rushing 93 times for 554 yards and five touchdowns

The #Bears are taking Texas running back Roschon Jonhson. According to PFF, Johnson had a 45% forced missed tackle rate over the last two seasons. The 6-foot, 219-pound RB ran the ball 94 times for 545 yards and had five TDs. He had 9 rushes that went over 15+ yards in 2022.

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 29, 2023

Instant analysis: Bears pick their first skill position player of the class, tabbing Bijan Robinson’s backup for the team’s backfield. Solid pick both on and off the field. He was quarterback in high school and a three-time academic All-Big 12 first-team selection in Austin.

#Bears draft Texas RB Roschon Johnson at No. 115, a former QB who switched to RB at Texas. From my notes on Johnson:

"Already a pro. Reliable blocker and four-phase special teamer who could stick in the league for a long time."

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) April 29, 2023

Roschon Johnson looks the part of a complete back.

Size/Power/Balance ✅

Vision/Patience ✅

Pass Pro ✅

Receiver ✅

Special Teams ✅

He's a player you can use in a variety of ways, which makes him valuable!

— Will DeWitt (@Wi11DeWitt) April 29, 2023

Here's what Bijan Robinson had to say about Roschon Johnson: pic.twitter.com/h2DWopjMI4

— Greg Braggs Jr. (@GBraggsJr23) April 29, 2023

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Round 4: Pick 133 — Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott

5-9 7/8, 177 pounds
2022 stats: 54 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns

Instant analysis: Another Day 3 weapon for Justin Fields. Smaller receiver, but has very good speed and separation. Changes gear easily. Deep ball catcher, which would be very intriguing with Justin Fields. Tracks the ball downfield very well. Durable and a great gunner on punt. Physicality and blocking need work. Didn’t play WR in high school and is still ascending at the position. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler says that Scott has “Tyler Lockett upside.”

The Bears select Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott with the 133rd pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Last season, Scott caught 55 passes for 904 yards and 9 TDs.

Scott was a former RB but switched to WR his first year at Cincinnati. Only missed one game in 3 seasons.

Ran a 4.37 at his Pro Day

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 29, 2023

#Bears draft Cincinnati WR Tyler Scott at No. 133.

We had him at No. 44 (!) on the @CHGO_Bears 100.

My notes: "Changes gear easily. Deep ball catcher, which would be very intriguing with Justin Fields. Tracks the ball downfield very well. Durable and a great gunner on punt."

— Adam Hoge (@AdamHoge) April 29, 2023

On the NFL website, #Bears Tyler Scott's pro comp is T.Y. Hilton. 👀

— Will DeWitt (@Wi11DeWitt) April 29, 2023

New Bears WR @Tylerscott21_ says his dad is mistaken for Mike Singletary all the time. pic.twitter.com/WjcsHqfceT

— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) April 29, 2023

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Round 5: Pick 148 — Oregon LB Noah Sewell

6-1, 1/2, 246 pounds
2022 statistics: 56 tackles, 5.5 TFL, one interception

Instant analysis: The Bears’ linebacking room was a weakness in 2022, but that won’t be the case in 2023. After the offseason additions of Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, Ryan Poles adds a solid off-ball linebacker with one of the picks they received in the Roquan Smith trade. Sewell is the brother of Penei Sewell and should make a lot of fans in Chicago with his rough and physical play.

Some notes I have on Noah Sewell:

– Thumper in the box!

– Block-shedding ability

– Versatility (can play Mike, and rush from the EDGE)

– Hard-hitting, playmaking, LB with a high motor

— Will DeWitt (@Wi11DeWitt) April 29, 2023

Here is what West Coast Area Scout Reese Hicks had to say about new #Bears linebacker Noah Sewell and his ability to rush the quarterback. pic.twitter.com/2tBhvGLFQo

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 29, 2023

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Round 5: Pick 165 — Minnesota CB Terell Smith

6-0 1/2, 204 pounds
2022 stats: 4.5 TFLs, two sacks and two interceptions

Hoge’s Notes: Traits prospect with good size, speed and length at cornerback. Dealt with a lot of injuries, but finally put together a full productive season in 2022. Older prospect who will turn 24 in late-July. Not a lot of special teams experience.

Sack/fumble vs Purdue.

The #Bears are taking Minnesota cornerback Terell Smith with the 165th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot, 204-pound cornerback played in all 13 games last season and made 38 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 FF, 7 passes defensed and w interceptions.

Smith ran a 4.41 at the combine.

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 29, 2023

I asked Co-Director of Player Personnel Trey Koziol what improvements Terell Smith has made throughout his college career.

Here is what he had to say. pic.twitter.com/f0ZQelbEoi

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 29, 2023

Terell Smith left his hometown state of Georgia to go to college in Minnesota. That’s the toughness the #Bears need.

— Mark Carman (@thecarm) April 29, 2023

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Round 7: Pick 218 – Kennesaw State DT Travis Bell

6-1, 290 pounds

Instant analysis: Poles didn’t want to spend the ninth pick on Jalen Carter and will instead hope to find value in the trio of Dexter, Pickens and now Bell. There are often diamonds in the rough to be found at small schools; might Bell fit that label?

Travis Bell, DT, Kennesaw State

• FCS player!!
• Won’t lie, don’t know too much!
• Great athlete and had solid college stats pic.twitter.com/klq2vYftcn

— Joseph Herff (@JosephHerffNFL) April 29, 2023

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Round 7: Pick 258 — Stanford S Kendall Williamson

6-0, 203 pounds

Instant analysis: With the second-to-last pick in the draft, the Bears looked for some more depth in their secondary.

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