Bears Explosive Enough for the Top 32

Pro Football Focus has ranked three Bears skill-position players among the top 32 at their position for 2023.
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It's probably no surprise considering how much they pay him or the notoriety he's received but wide receiver DJ Moore is the highest ranked offensive skill position player the Bears have, according to Pro Football Focus.

The analytical website is doing its annual assessment of all positions in the league and had ranked Justin Fields 18th among quarterbacks. They're not the only ones ranked in the top 32 at their positions, either.

They have ranked Moore the 16th best wide receiver in the league. Moore, who has the highest salary cap hit for the Bears this year of $20.165 million,

"He isn't coming off a great year of production, but prior to last season Moore had three straight years of 1,100-plus receiving yards and is still averaging 1.94 yards per route run for his career despite some ugly quarterback situations," PFF's Sam Monson wrote.

Moore is one spot better than Miami receiver Jaylen Waddle and two better than Eagles receiver Devonta Smith at No. 18.

Tee Higgins, the Bengals receiver many Bears fans on social media had hoped might be available for trade, is ranked 19th.

Moore is one spot behind 15th-ranked Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Lions, the brother of Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown.

Raiders receiver Davante Adams is ranked No. 1, one ahead of Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson.

The other Bears highly ranked player is running back Khalil Herbert. PFF ranked Herbert 26th of the league's top 32 running backs, one behind Saints back Jamaal Williams, the former Lions starter.

He has such great vision behind the line of scrimmage, and that shows up in his 5.7 yards per carry this past season with an impressive 3.7 yards after contact.

"He has such great vision behind the line of scrimmage, and that shows up in his 5.7 yards per carry this past season with an impressive 3.7 yards after contact," Trevor Sikkema wrote.

Herbert's 5.7 yards a carry led all NFL running backs who made enough runs to qualify for the rushing title.

Herbert is ranked one spot ahead of San Francisco's Elijah Mitchell and three ahead of Green Bay's A.J. Dillon.

The 32nd-ranked back is former Bears starter David Montgomery, now with Detroit.

"Montgomery might not have the same flashy plays as other backs but he runs hard every carry," Sikkema wrote.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.