The Chicago Bears could've stayed put and selected Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackle Jalen Carter with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. 

But instead, the Bears traded back with the Philadelphia Eagles and passed on a player that many draft analysts considered the most talented prospect in the draft.

Philly moved up one spot (via a trade with Chicago) to select Carter while the Bears took Tennessee Vols offensive lineman Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick. 

So why did the Bears pass on a player that was viewed as a top-five talent for an offensive lineman that saw his draft stock rise from an early second-round pick to a top-10 pick over the last two months? 

One big reason was the intense workout that Chicago put Wright through in Knoxville in early April. 

The Bears pushed Wright to the limit physically and mentally. Chicago wanted to see how much Wright could handle mentally while being pushed physically. They tested his whiteboard knowledge and he passed. They would change playcalls at the last second during the intense workout and Wright still passed. The former Tennessee standout handled everything thrown his way by the Bears. 

“We just would trigger and trigger and trigger,” said Bears general manager Ryan Poles. “We got him exhausted and the kid had no (quit) in him. His body language was excellent. He stayed aggressive. He finished.”

It wasn't just the intense workout that led to Chicago's decision to choose Wright over Carter. 

The Bears also went to Athens to put Carter through a workout at Georgia's Pro Day (the day after they put Wright through his workout at Tennessee). And while it's unclear if it was as intense as the workout that Wright went through, Chicago's front office learned enough about Carter to be concerned about his conditioning level. 

According to The Chicago Tribune, Carter showed up to the workout overweight, ran out of breath quickly, and eventually he cut the workout short. 

From The Chicago Tribune: Carter, who already had been through a turbulent personal stretch during the pre-draft process, showed up overweight and quickly ran out of breath. His fuel light came on early during on-field drills. And because of cramping and fatigue, he eventually cut his workout short. Poles, coach Matt Eberflus and defensive coordinator Alan Williams were among the Bears representatives to witness that, leaving Athens, Ga., with elevated concerns about how a job candidate could bungle an audition so badly.

There were also character concerns about Carter that weren't necessarily present with Wright. 

Poles wouldn't comment directly on those character concerns, but he indicated that they were a factor. 

“I won’t comment specifically on him (Carter),” said Poles. “But character’s always going to be important for us.”

(Note: The Eagles were more comfortable taking Carter because they have an established locker room. Poles indicated that down the road when Chicago's locker room culture is more established, they might be willing to take a gamble on a player like Carter that has character concerns.)

None of the players from Tennessee that were drafted in 2023 exhibited character concerns (there was some chatter about Wright late in the process, but Poles' comments this week suggest those concerns were bogus). In fact, it was quite the opposite. Wright did everything the Bears asked. Jalin Hyatt was praised for the work he put in this past season. Cedric Tillman was praised for working tirelessly to return from injury last year. Hendon Hooker was in the spotlight for his incredible maturity during the pre-draft process. And Byron Young's story about working at Dollar General while still holding out hope that he could play football at a high level was one of the most popular stories of the draft weekend. 

When players from the same program are constantly labeled as guys with "character concerns", it usually means there's an underlying issue. 

Fortunately for Tennessee, it doesn't appear that's a problem on Rocky Top. Instead, the Vols are sending players to the NFL that are being praised for their character. And that should reflect positively on Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel and his coaching staff.