09 March 2023 , 16:07
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Chicago Bears wide receiver Chase Claypool suggested his team should select Georgia defensive star Nolan Smith if the team decides not to trade the first overall pick in next month’s 2023 NFL Draft.
One of the leading narratives of the NFL offseason has surrounded what the Bears might do with the coveted first overall selection. They have reportedly pondered picking a quarterback and trading Justin Fields, as well as trading back for a haul for a team in need of a young signal-caller.
The NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis saw a strong showing from the quarterback class with Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Anthony Richardson of Florida all receiving rave reviews either from the workouts or interview process. It has meant Chicago are sat in a perfect position to reap the benefits in terms of compensation as they seem to be leaning towards moving forwards with Fields, a first round pick in the 2021 draft.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has ultimately kept his cards close to his chest since the end of the season, and he has even insinuated he would be happy to stay put in the unlikely scenario the right offer doesn’t arrive. Speaking at an NFL Flag Football event in London, Claypool appeared to reveal who he would pick if he was in Pokes’ shoes.
When asked by Mirror Sport who he would select in a flag equivalent of the NFL draft, the 24-year-old said: “If I was picking, I’d go for Nolan Smith from Georgia. The guy is a monster.
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“Even though he’s a defensive player and in Flag you might want a more offensive player, that guy seems like he can play both sides of the ball so I’d pick him.”
Georgia linebacker Nolan Smith is set to be selected high in the NFL Draft after dominating on the Bulldogs defence (Getty Images)Claypool was selected in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers and starred in his rookie season, tallying 873 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. However, he was dealt to the Bears on November 1 2022 and registered 14 catches for 140 yards as he got to grips with a new playbook and offensive scheme.
Amid reports the Bears considered moving off Fields, Claypool leapt to the defence of his dynamic quarterback and insisted Chicago are ready for an ‘exciting’ 2023 campaign. He added: “The great thing about Justin is he can make his own pocket. He can move along the line and make plays happen that would otherwise be a sack or a loss of yards; he’s able to turn a three-yard loss into a eight-yard touchdown so it’s super exciting to watch him play and grow as a player. I can’t wait for this next year.
“Last season might not have gone our way wins-loss wise, but if you look at the games you can see how close we were and start to understand we could have been a 10 or 11 win team - and we’re young. We’re going to grow, utilise our cap space, utilise the youth on our team and have a really exciting year.”
The Bears appear ready to progress with Fields after he enjoyed an encouraging sophomore season following a difficult rookie year. His freakish running ability means he could be on par with a high-calibre quarterback like former MVP Lamar Jackson, but he needs offensive help - it’s now up to Claypool to deliver as well as Pole and the Bears front office to provide further weapons in the form of new recruits next month.
The New York Jets and Chicago Bears have launched the Jets and Bears NFL Girls Flag league, the first UK all girls’ competition of its kind designed to increase access to sport for young girls. To find out more about the league and teams, please visit, www.chicagobears.com and nyjetsinuk.com/girls-flag