Getty Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus (left) and general manager Ryan Poles (right) talk on the sideline ahead of an NFL game in 2023.
The Chicago Bears are sitting in the catbird seat with the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and if they play it right, they can turn that asset into a massive boon for the franchise for years to come.
Not all top picks are created equal, but the Bears lucked out landing their first No. 1 selection in 75 years in 2023. Chicago’s needs, the needs of the teams immediately behind them and the players that top this class combine to place the Bears in one of the most enviable draft positions in recent memory.
While there are a handful of teams out there with whom Chicago can make a deal, perhaps the ideal trade partner is the Indianapolis Colts, who pick fourth overall. There is a world in which the Bears can extract a massive haul from the Colts for moving down just three spots and still land the player they want in this draft. It reads as follows:
- Colts receive Bears’ No. 1 overall pick in 2023.
- Bears receive Colts’ No. 4 overall pick in 2023, second-round pick (No. 35) in 2023, first-round pick in 2024 and defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
Bears Can Leverage Colts’ Strong Motivation to Trade For QB
GettyIndianapolis Colts defensive tackle DeForest Buckner.
The deal may seem like a long-shot skewed in Chicago’s favor, but the difference between the first and fourth overall picks could mean the world to a team like Indianapolis. Furthermore, Colts general manager Chris Ballard has already said publicly he’s ready to wheel and deal to make sure he gets his man under center.
Asked if there is a QB at the top of the draft they want, would he give up heaven and earth to trade up and get him?
Ballard: “Yes. I’d do whatever it takes.”
Zak Keefer of The Athletic asked Ballard if the Colts were willing to concede “heaven and earth” to move up for a QB they want in this draft class.
“Yes, I’d do whatever it takes,” Ballard responded.
The Bears already have their quarterback of the future in Justin Fields, who likely would have broken the NFL record for rushing yards at the position with ease in just his second season had he not missed two games with injury.
Meanwhile, there are a handful of teams other than the Colts picking in the top 10 who are desperate for a franchise quarterback and willing to pay for one. An argument can be made that the Houston Texans (pick No. 2) and the Seattle Seahawks (pick No. 5) will also each value the quarterback position above all others.
There are three potential QBs in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud and Will Levis who could command the top pick, though the general consensus is that the first two are the most desirable. Even assuming Indianapolis isn’t particular and would be interested in any of the three, teams like the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, among others, have top 10 picks with which to barter their way into the No. 1 overall slot — potentially leaving the Colts out in the cold.
Another consideration of note is that Bears head coach Matt Eberflus served as the Colts’ defensive coordinator for four years (2018-21) under Ballard, meaning the two sides could enter trade talks with relative trust rooted in that long-term professional relationship.
Bears Can Solidify Defensive Front With Trade, First-Round Pick
GettyLinebacker Will Anderson Jr. of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates a win against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 4, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
If the Bears can execute the deal, they extract a massive haul from the Colts and remain inside the top four. That positioning is crucial if Chicago wants to guarantee it gets one of the two players who make the most sense for the franchise in 2023.
Those players are Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama linebacker/edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. Both are potentially generational talents at their positions, and ESPN’s Mel Kiper has Carter and Anderson rated as his top two overall prospects, respectively, in this draft.
Should the Bears land Buckner, a three-time Pro-Bowl defensive tackle who was also named a first-team All-Pro in 2020, the need for Carter becomes less urgent and Chicago would be likely to focus on Anderson.