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Craig Rondinone analyzes which team has the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, why they ended up with the pick, and what the team might do with the pick.
There was a lot of great football played during the 2022 NFL regular season. There was also a lot of bad football played.
But the team that played the worst and lost the most games received the first pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That always presents an exciting opportunity for any franchise, and it will be fun to see who gets drafted first overall.
So who was that “lucky” team, that heads into the 2023 NFL Draft with the first overall pick?
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Which Team Has the #1 Pick in the 2023 NFL Draft?
The Chicago Bears were no “Monsters of the Midway” this season. Their franchise quarterback, Justin Fields, may have the moves of Gale Sayers and the speed of Willie Gault, but his below-par passing caused the Bears to finish dead last in passing offense. Injuries ravaged the receiving corps and inconsistent play as nobody on the roster turned Fields’ wobbly passes into chunk plays.
Chicago only averaged 20 points per game on the season, which is not enough to win many games in the NFL these days. This lack of scoring was one of the main reasons the Bears ended up with the worst record in the league at 3-14.
Chicago’s defense needed a dozen Richard Dents to make it a decent unit. The Bears finished 29th in total defense, no thanks to the front office trading away two of its top stars in defensive end Robert Quinn and linebacker Roquan Smith. Those deals may have brought in draft capital for the future, but they robbed the Bears' defense of two of its premier playmakers.
What Will They Do With the #1 Pick?
So what will the Bears do with the No. 1 pick in next year’s draft? They have a plethora of positions they desperately need talented players to upgrade. The one position they probably do not need is a quarterback, as long as the front office and coaching staff feels Fields can improve his passing and turn into a dual threat like Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts is.
There is no doubt he is one of the most electrifying players on the planet when he is running in the open field. But if GM Ryan Poles and Co. are not convinced...
Chicago needs a playmaking wide receiver as badly as Jerry Seinfeld needs new material. The Bears could also use a pass rusher, a cover corner, a run-stuffing middle linebacker, or an offensive tackle. Basically, they could go in as many directions as Fields does when he scrambles. And the other option is trading the pick and getting a potpourri of picks in later rounds and later years to fill in all the gaping gaps in their roster.
It will be interesting to see what the Chicago Bears do over the next couple of months heading into the NFL Draft. Fans and fantasy footballers will be excited to see if they trade the pick or keep the pick and how the decision will affect the fantasy football landscape. Only time will tell what the Bears do, but I would lean towards the Bears trading down since they do not need a QB and getting several picks that should bolster their roster for several seasons.
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