Getty General Manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears will face an array of options for the second straight NFL Draft next April, including potentially another decision on what to do with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Carolina Panthers owe Chicago their first-round selection following a blockbuster trade between the teams last year. If the 2024 draft started today, that pick would be No. 1 overall while the Bears’ own pick would fall at No. 4.
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report on Friday, November 24, authored a trade pitch in which the Bears swap the first overall selection with the New England Patriots for the No. 3 pick (and some adjoining and valuable asset) and then draft Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Last year’s deal gave Chicago its leading receiver, D.J. Moore, two first-round picks and a pair of second-round selections. More can be added to build a groundswell of young talent and make the Bears more competitive overall.
Chicago can pick up [Justin] Fields‘ fifth-round rookie option next offseason, play out the rest of his contract and add significant talent.
The Patriots have benched Mac Jones multiple times this season and currently sit just outside of the top two spots, where QB prospects Caleb Williams of USC and Drake Maye of North Carolina figure to come off the board. As such, sending the Bears their 2024 second-rounder or some other high-value draft asset could be more than worth it to New England to hop two positions on the draft board and have its pick of litter.
The Patriots clearly don’t have the roster to compete at a high level anymore, starting with the quarterback position.
Jones is a competent starting option if everything around him is going well. But it’s been blatantly clear this season that he’s not a quarterback capable of elevating inferior talent as he crumples under the pressure.
Bears Can Bolster Offense in Big Way Through 2024 NFL Draft
GettyOhio State Buckeyes wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
Under Sobleski’s scenario, Chicago would make back-to-back picks at Nos. 3 and 4. The Bears would pair Harrison up with Moore on the outside to give Fields the kind of 1-2 punch he probably deserves before the team makes a decision on whether to replace him or keep him long-term.
Then, Chicago would turn around and select Olu Fashanu out of Penn State, its second top-10 offensive tackle in as many years. The Bears drafted starting right tackle Darnell Wright with the 10th overall selection in 2023.
Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus rated Fashanu as the top tackle prospect in the country back in July.
Fashanu has top-10 — and even top-five — potential. His 6-foot-6, 319-pound frame is above the 50th percentile for NFL offensive tackles in both height and weight. He allowed no sacks on 299 true pass-blocking snaps in 2022, with a pressure percentage of just 3.0%.
Fashanu’s movement skills at his size are impressive. He covers so much ground in his kick slides and combines that with great balance when mitigating contact. His IQ is also far beyond his years. He understands the importance of offensive line chemistry and pressure that could come from all angles. He’ll also be just 21 years old on draft night in 2024.
Bears Can End Justin Fields Era in Upcoming NFL Draft
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
The other option for Chicago has been discussed thoroughly throughout the NFL universe over the past several weeks — moving on from Fields and using the top pick to draft Williams or Maye.
That scenario would allow the Bears to move Fields in a trade (probably for a first-round pick, and if not definitely for a second-rounder) and reset the quarterback clock with a player who may prove a more talented thrower of the football at the professional level.
Top overall picks always sign sizable contracts, but the entire four-year life of that rookie deal is likely to cost about as much as one season of an elite-level QB in his second contract. The result would be continued financial flexibility allowing Chicago to build out a roster around a talented and affordable signal-caller, which is a proven way to contend for and win Super Bowls in the modern NFL.