For the second straight year, the Chicago Bears will own the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft. And for the second straight year, they might trade the pick.
Last spring, the Bears dealt the top overall selection to the Carolina Panthers for a return package that included the Panthers’ 2024 first-rounder. Well, the Panthers finished with the worst record in the league this season, giving Chicago the top pick yet again.
The general consensus has long been that the Bears will ultimately trade Justin Fields and then take a quarterback like USC’s Caleb Williams with the No. 1 selection, but momentum seems to be building toward Chicago actually holding on to Fields.
That would open up the Bears for a trade, and Jacob Infante of WC Gridiron has come up with a very interesting trade idea that involves the Washington Commanders.
That would certainly be a massive haul for the Bears, but whether or not the Commanders even consider making such a move is the question.
As good of a prospect as Williams is, that is a lot to give up just to move up one slot in the draft, and there are some who feel North Carolina’s Drake Maye is near or at Williams’ level.
Taking that into consideration, Washington could just take Maye at No. 2 while keeping its other assets. Imagine if the Commanders make that trade and select Williams. The cupboard would be pretty bare afterward, and Williams would not exactly have a ton of options in the passing game.
But if Washington is willing to surrender that type of return for the No. 1 overall pick? Chicago could make the trade and not look back.
The Bears already have a young quarterback with potential in Fields, and they will be able to put a ton of supporting talent around him if they bring in all of those assets. Imagine D.J. Moore and Terry McLaurin in the same receiving corps?
Chicago is a team on the rise. It began the 2023 campaign 0-4, but went a respectable 7-6 the rest of the way. The defense is solid, and the team has some intriguing pieces on the offensive side of the ball.
If the Bears trade the No. 1 pick and receive that type of package in exchange, look out.
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