The Chicago Bears head into this month’s 2024 NFL Draft boasting the first and ninth overall selections. It really is an ideal scenario for general manager Ryan Poles and Co. to be in after a very active offseason thus far.
We already know that it’s a foregone conclusion Chicago will select former USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick in the draft after trading Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month.
The larger question here is what Chicago plans on doing with the ninth pick. It has already met with one of the top wide receivers in the draft class to potentially team up with Williams in the Windy City.
However, there is another scenario in play here. After those two selections within the first nine, Chicago only has four other picks remaining in the entire draft. Such is the nature of the beast after trading for Pro Bowlers Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen over the past several months.
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Chicago is one of the teams being linked to trade-down scenarios with the draft quickly approaching. The idea would be to recoup some picks later in the draft after those two aforementioned trades.
With the top-four selections in the draft potentially set to be quarterbacks, this opens up an avenue for Chicago to get value from teams in need at other positions. It could also force teams selecting later in the first round to panic and move up for a signal caller as a reach.
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Chicago Bears trade scenarios in the 2024 NFL Draft
- Las Vegas Raiders panic for a quarterback: Vegas has already met with both Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix leading up to the NFL Draft. It has an obvious need here after the failed Jimmy Garoppolo experiment. Would first-year general manager Tom Telesco move up from 13 to nine to secure one of the second-tier quarterbacks in the draft? It’s a real possibility. In return, Chicago would likely net the Raiders’ third-round pick (77th overall).
- Wide receiver-needy team jumps into top 10: After trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans, it’s obviously clear that the Buffalo Bills need more weapons for quarterback Josh Allen. Selecting 28th, it’s going to be hard to find that right now. Instead, the Bills move all the way up to nine to secure someone like Washington’s Rome Odunze. The return for Chicago would be massive, including a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft that the team could flip for multiple selections this year.
- Los Angeles Rams make play for EDGE guy: We know that Rams general manager Les Snead is always active on the trade block. Coming off a surprise playoff appearance, that could be the case come draft night. If someone like Alabama’s Dallas Turner lasts until nine, expect Snead to jump from 19. This would likely net the Bears a third-and-fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
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