The Bears are sitting comfortably atop the 2023 NFL draft, where the expectation is general manager Ryan Poles is going to trade back from the No. 1 pick and land a ton of draft capital (and a top prospect) in the process.
In a new mock draft from CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards, it’s a dream scenario for the Bears, who trade back — twice! — and still come out with a top defender.
In this mock, Chicago trades back with the Texans at No. 2 before the Colts move up two spots for that No. 4 selection. And with that fourth pick, the Bears land a disruptive defender in Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter.
After trading back twice, Chicago elects to stay put and take the other top defensive talent: Jalen Carter. Chicago finished dead last in sacks (20) last season, but Carter should aid the cause.
Now, the mock doesn’t mention specific compensation. But it’s implied that it’s quite the haul. After all, there are no shortage of teams looking to trade into the top five in order to land one of the top three quarterback prospects in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis.
Couple the additional draft capital with landing an impact defender in Carter, who would be the dominant three-technique that Matt Eberflus’ defense needs, and it’s the ideal scenario ahead of April’s draft.
