The Chicago Bears and their current front office have not been shy when it comes to wheeling and dealing with their privileged draft spots.
Just last year, the team dealt away their overall no. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers for a wealth of draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore. And, because of that wise move, they find themselves with the overall no. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft as well.
So, would they be open to doing it again? Would they be willing to trade away a prized draft pick for a haul of talent to further build up the team?
The answer is probably, “heck yeah.” But, of course, only if the deal is right. Who trades away back-to-back no. 1 picks without being guaranteed a huge return?
Chicago Bears Trade Down Twice
Glynn Morgan of NBC Sports Chicago has cooked up a scenario where Chicago shakes things up again, trading back from the no. 1 spot obtained from Carolina and their own first-round pick (no. 9 overall) to bring in a treasury of draft capital.
In Morgan’s recent mock draft vision, he sees the Bears swapping first-round picks with the team right behind them in the draft, the Washington Commanders. In return for falling back one spot, they would acquire the Commanders’ first-round pick (no. 2 overall), their second-round pick (no. 36 overall), and their fourth-round pick (no. 100 overall), as well as their first and fourth-round picks in 2025.
That’s a mighty return for a one spot bump in the draft, but the thinking is that USC star quarterback Caleb Williams is THAT good and Washington is THAT desperate for a franchise quarterback.
All of this, of course, would be built around the idea that the Bears will be keeping Justin Fields as their top QB and choosing to build this team around him.
Up at no. 9, Chicago would make their second move, trading down to no. 12 with the Denver Broncos in return for the Broncos’ first-round pick (no. 12 overall), their third-round pick (no. 76 overall), and second and third-round draft picks in 2025.
In Morgan’s mock draft, the Bears would end up selecting Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who many see as the overall best prospect in this year’s draft, with their no. 2 pick in the first round. The Commanders, by the way, would do the expected and draft Caleb Williams at no. 1.
With their new no. 12 pick, Chicago would draft defensive end Laiatu Latu from UCLA to add depth to the Edge position, perhaps opposite Montez Sweat.
A Mighty Haul
So, to sum this up, the Bears would trade down four spots, total, with their two first-round picks and, in return, receive a total of nine picks over these next two years. Among those nine picks, there would be three first-round picks and two second-round picks.
For a team looking to build up a roster of high-end impact players, the deal makes a certain amount of sense. However, the draw of drafting Williams– by most accounts a QB with potential elite ability coming into an increasingly quarterback-centric league– is strong.
The Bears and Commanders have been linked to other spot-swapping deals ahead of this upcoming draft. Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that would see Chicago giving up their no. 1 pick for Washington’s no. 2 pick, this year’s second-round pick, and a third-round pick in 2025. Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports, Chicago envisioned a deal that would bag the Bears the Commanders’ no. 2 pick, their second-round pick, and their 2025 first-round pick for the overall no. 1 draft slot.
As ideas continue to float by, the Chicago Bears are on the clock and surely pondering moves ahead of April’s NFL draft.