The Bears are in a prime position to trade back from the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, where they could realistically trade back and still land a top defensive prospect inside the top four.
The expectation is general manager Ryan Poles will trade back, especially considering Chicago already has a quarterback in Justin Fields. But could Poles turn that No. 1 pick into a boatload of picks? It certainly sounds like it.
According to Heavy Sports insider Matt Lombardo, the belief is the Bears could “conceivably trade back twice” in the draft, depending on how well Poles can sell the belief that Chicago is interested in taking a quarterback.
Some league sources here for the Senior Bowl suggest that the Bears could conceivably trade back twice if Poles can manufacture a smokescreen that Chicago is interested in a quarterback that a team such as the Houston Texans are intent on targeting, moving to pick No. 2 — potentially for multiple first-round picks, and sliding down again to either pick No. 4 (the Indianapolis Colts), or No. 5 (Seattle Seahawks) and still happily select a player they’d have been thrilled to choose No. 1 overall.
The only problem with trying to sell the rouse is the general consensus that the Bears will stick with Fields and look to trade out of that top spot regardless. But there’s another factor at play here: division rivals.
The Texans and Colts could very well get into a bidding war for the top pick, especially if one quarterback emerges as the top guy as we get closer to the draft. In that scenario, the Bears could trade back one spot with the Texans (No. 2) and then trade back a second time, whether that’s with the Colts (No. 4) or another quarterback-needy team inside the top 10. If anything, it could help drive the price up for the pick.
“There are a lot of variables when it comes moving out of the top spot,” an NFC Personnel Director told Lombardo. “Especially thinking about how far you’d be willing to trade back, and how many teams are interested in moving up.”
When looking at the different teams that could be in the market for a quarterback this offseason, there are at least seven inside the top 10. That gives Poles no shortage of suitors for the top spot. Heck, it even gives him a better chance to trade back twice, if all goes as planned.
