The 2023 NFL Draft is in the books.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles made some trades and moved around the draft board and ultimately selected 10 players.
And now, while we await rookie mini camp, the analysts who projected the picks are grading NFL front office's works.
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ESPN Draft Analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who celebrated his 40th NFL Draft on Saturday, gave Poles and company a B+.
His grade isn't squarely focused on the players, but factors in the March trade that sent the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers. The Bears got the No. 9 overall pick, No. 61 overall pick, wide receiver D.J. Moore, a 2024 first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder.
"They got help for now and later, setting themselves up to fill crucial needs in this draft," Kiper wrote. "Even though they traded at midseason what ended up as the top pick of Round 2, they still had four selections in the top 64."
Kiper liked the Poles trading back to No. 10 and selecting Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright.
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"Chicago had been connected with Darnell Wright (9) for months -- I matched this one in my two-round mock draft -- mostly because of its gaping void at right tackle," Kiper wrote. "Wright is the best right tackle in this class, a 333-pound lineman who started 42 games in college. He is ready to play right now."
Kiper was immediately skeptical of the Bears picks in the second and third round, and now that he's had time to think about it he hasn't warmed up to them at all.
"I was more down on two of its Day 2 picks, as I mentioned Friday, but I get building through the trenches," Kiper wrote. "It's just that both Gervon Dexter (53) and Zacch Pickens (64) were a round early based on my rankings. Some of this had to do with getting ahead on the DTs early in a thinner-than-normal class, but I'm grading each class on value, and so the Bears have to get dinged."
But Poles might have had a very solid Day 3.
"As for the rest of this class? I'm a fan. Running back Roschon Johnson (115) played behind Bijan Robinson at Texas, but Johnson probably would have started at most other FBS schools," Kiper wrote. "He is powerful between the tackles. Tyler Scott (133) is a slot wideout who runs after the catch like a tailback. Linebacker Noah Sewell (148) was a tackling force in college, and now he'll get to try to blitz past his brother, Penei, in the NFC North. Terell Smith (165) is my 14th-ranked cornerback, and the Bears got him a round later than I had him going."
Despite not loving the Day 2 picks, Kiper still gave the Bears a solid review and approves of what the front office has done.
"I like what general manager Ryan Poles is building in Chicago, and the 2024 draft capital he acquired combined with another step forward from quarterback Justin Fields means this team will challenge in the NFC quickly -- just not this season," Kiper wrote.