All eyes are on the Chicago Bears and what they’re going to do with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
The overwhelming expectation is the Bears will trade back from the top spot. But it sounds like there could be a scenario where Chicago can trade back twice and reap the benefits of additional draft capital.
According to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones, the belief is the Bears could not only trade back from No. 1 but perhaps trade back a second time depending on just how desperate some of these quarterback-needy teams are.
League sources indicated to CBS Sports this past week in Indianapolis that the Bears could trade down once, then trade down again in the first round of April’s draft. That result would net Chicago multiple first-round picks in 2023 and 2024 along with several other Day 2 picks.
Here’s how one prominent league source sees it: the Bears deal the top pick to the Texans, who are currently selecting at No. 2 overall. The Texans don’t want to get leapfrogged for their top pick and, armed with a dozen picks in this year’s draft plus two firsts in next year’s draft, they’ll be able to give Bears GM Ryan Poles sufficient compensation to get their quarterback of the future.
In some regard, the Bears may be in an even better position to make a deal at No. 2. The Texans would have taken their top quarterback, and if teams feel there are two difference-makers at QB for the 2023 season, they’ll want to get on the phone with Chicago before someone else does.
There are a number of teams in need of a quarterback ahead of the 2023 season. And while some big-name veterans could be headed elsewhere — including Aaron Rodgers and newly franchise-tagged Lamar Jackson — this quarterback draft class is generating some excitement.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he’s been fielding calls about what they’re looking to do, but he also admitted they’re leaning toward trading the top selection and favoring value when it comes to additional picks.
But there’s also a question of how far back Chicago is willing to move.
“Yeah, there’s been some calls, just feelers, trying to figure out what we want to do, what we’re open to do, and we’re going to take that information,” Poles told Jones. “I’ve talked about it a lot. This whole setup here at the Combine gives you an opportunity to collect information and then get with your team, and I’ll get with my team and we’ll make the best decision for us moving forward. We’re going to evaluate guys here that could help change our culture and improve our team and really move the needle, but there’s also going to be options to move back.
“Then we’ve got to do a numbers game of how many guys are in a range and in a value we feel comfortable with to move back and we feel like we can still get them. So there’s a lot going on. We’ll put it all together, but I know as a front office, as an organization, coaching staff, we’re pumped up. We’re excited to really get this team to where it needs to be.”
