The Chicago Bears have left themselves in dire straits in terms of draft capital after trading many of this year’s allotment.
They traded a seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots for N’Keal Harry ahead of the 2022 season. Their sixth-rounder went to the Miami Dolphins for Dan Feeney this past preseason. Montez Sweat cost a second-round pick at last year’s trade deadline. Keenan Allen and Ryan Bates cost fourth and fifth-round picks, respectively, this offseason.
That reality is fueling the latest speculation about their plans for the No. 9 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, set to begin on April 25.
Rival Teams Eying Bears for Potential Trade in 2024 NFL Draft
Bears a Potential Swing Point in 2024 NFL Draft Amid Trade Rumors
?What NFL teams think other NFL teams will do in the draft should not be interpreted as gospel, but when I ask team personnel about intriguing opponents picking in the top 10, two that come up often are the Chicago Bears and New York Jets,? ESPN?s Field Yates wrote on April 5. “Why? The potential of a trade down.?
The Bears? four selections in April?s draft are the fewest in the NFL, Yates notes. After stripping the roster down in his first season, General Manager Ryan Poles has also done well to restock the cupboard with talent across the board.
That has left them with few glaring holes on the current roster.
?Given the number of teams that will be angling hard for OTs early, could either of those teams be incentivized to move down?? Yates wrote.
The Bears have no second-round pick and do not pick after the fourth round. They have 2023 first-round pick Darnell Wright on the right side, making a selection at that position unlikely. Left tackle Braxton Jones has also been a find as a former fifth-round pick (2022).
However, rumors have linked the Bears to several of this class? top left tackle prospects.
That includes Notre Dame?s Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu of Penn State, and Troy Fautanu of Washington.
That could mean the Jets might be the better projection for a swing point in the draft. They already signed Tyron Smith in free agency from the Dallas Cowboys. They also acquired Morgan Moses via trade from the Baltimore Ravens.
There is also a belief the Jets are eyeing a trade down, albeit for different reasons.
?While the Jets need a young quarterback in their pipeline, assuming Zach Wilson is a goner, the idea of them drafting one that high seems unlikely,? ESPN?s Rich Cimini wrote on April 1.
?What they?d really like is a trade proposal from a quarterback-needy team, which would allow them to acquire a top-100 pick. A handful of teams behind them, most notably the Minnesota Vikings (11th), Denver Broncos (12th) and Las Vegas Raiders (13th), might be motivated to move up.?
But the Bears have been in this position before.
Ryan Poles Could Repeat History
Poles is on track to make the pick at No. 1 overall this year. Caleb Williams is the prohibitive favorite to be the choice. But Poles can repeat the history of his 2023 draft with the No. 9 overall pick.
He was in the same selection last season after trading out of the No. 1 spot with the Carolina Panthers.
The Bears then agreed to a trade sending the No. 9 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles.
That deal yielded the No. 10 overall pick ? which the Bears used to select Wright ? and a fourth-round pick in the 2024 draft, essentially to pass on Jalen Carter. They could get an even better return if the team looking to trade up is eyeing a quarterback.
