Last year, the Bears pulled off one of the best trades in recent memory.
Bears return for No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft …
- WR Keenan Allen
- WR DJ Moore
- OT Darnell Wright
- CB Tyrique Stevenson
- First overall pick in the 2024 draft
- Second-round pick in the 2025 draft
Although they missed out on getting CJ Stroud, they got two legit top-tier WRs and assets for the team, including the #1 overall pick for 2024. This year, the Bears have the #1 and #9 picks and the possibility of taking a franchise-altering quarterback in Caleb Williams.
At first, I wanted the Bears to turn the #1 overall pick into more picks like they did last year. The hype around Williams has been confirmed for years, and a team would give even more than Carolina did. But then I realized that you need to win football games with real players on the field at some point. You don’t win NFL games with draft picks.
Justin Fields has had three years to show he cannot do what Stroud did in one. If you are still wondering if your quarterback is “the guy” after four years, then he’s not the guy.
The Bears were looking for a trade partner for Fields. At the beginning of the off-season, some people thought he was worth a first-round pick but easily a second. That slowly fell to a possibly third or even fourth-round pick. Ultimately, it turned into a sixth-round pick with a fourth-round upside. So, a sixth-round pick.
We have to assume the Bears are going with Caleb Williams at #1, then the question becomes, what can the Bears get with their #9 pick? There will be seven other players selected before the Bears pick again. The hope is that three additional quarterbacks (Maye, Daniels, and McCarthy) will go. It is assumed that Marvin Harrison Jr. (MHJ) will also be gone. The next closest player to a sure thing besides MHJ is the Offensive Tackle, Joe Alt, who is never seen falling past #7.
Who are the next best players in the draft?
Wide Receiver
Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze
Bears fans were praying that one of these elite prospects would fall to them before the Keenan Allen trade. They both could be gone before #7, especially if McCarthy doesn’t go early. They are consensus #5 and #6 players. Having Caleb Williams, DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and Nabers/Odunze would be an exciting new chapter for the Bears.
Offensive Tackle
Olu Fashanu
If the Bears miss out on the top three wide receivers, they will get their pick of offensive tackles. This makes sense to provide Caleb Williams with as much protection as possible. But if they want to grab one, they can trade down unless they genuinely see Fashanu on Alt’s level.
Defense
Dallas Turner and Jared Verse
The other possibility is to take the top available edge rusher.
Dallas Turner has been heavily linked to Atlanta at #8.
But they could go after the Florida State prospect. This could be seen as a reach, suggesting the most likely option is…
More Picks
The most likely scenario may be trading for more picks.
The Bears only have the #1, #9, #75, and #122 picks in the 2024 draft.
A team that struggled to get wins last year still has many needs. I expect the Bears to take Caleb Williams at #1 and then wait to see if all three top WRs and Turner are gone. If that is the case, they will trade down and get even more draft capital.
We have only a month to enjoy the NFL Mock Draft Database, but 2024 has never been a better time for a Bears fan to try it out.
