Getty General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
Most analysts and experts agree that the Chicago Bears likely aren’t going to trade up in the draft this year.
The Bears currently hold just four picks in the upcoming draft, but two of the four are in the top 10. Currently, they hold picks No. 1, No. 9, No. 75 and No. 122. With such limited capital, it would be a shock if Chicago and general manager Ryan Poles moved up from No. 9 in particular, as numerous playmakers are still expected to be available then.
The moment is ripe for trade projections and scenarios, though, and Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report put together some hypothetical trade ideas for the Bears that would make a “splash” in the upcoming NFL draft. In his lone trade-up scenario, the Bears would send the No. 9 and No. 75 picks to the Tennessee Titans for No. 7 overall.
“Chicago should field a handful of trade offers at No. 9 because of the needs of the teams beneath it in the draft order,” Tansey wrote on April 1. “But the Bears could explore moving up in the draft order themselves by way of the No. 9 selection.”
Bears’ Trade Up Scenario With Tennessee Titans ‘Biggest Splash’ Chicago Could Make
With the Bears presumed to select quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick, Tansey believes Chicago could get the biggest bang for its buck by moving up to add a player — which would very likely be either a premium offensive lineman or a top wide receiver.
“The biggest splash the Bears could make is to move back into the top seven to land a wide receiver,” Tansey wrote, adding:
“This is the move if they want to be super aggressive in adding premier talent. Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze should be there at No. 7 if the quarterback rush happens behind the Bears at No. 1 and one of the offensive tackles lands in the top six.”
The Titans could still nab an excellent playmaker at No. 9, but could they be swayed to move down two spots for an additional third-rounder? That seems highly unlikely.
“The Titans could scoff at any potential offer from the Bears as well, but they are worth calling because they landed their No. 1 wide receiver in free agency in Calvin Ridley,” Tansey noted.
Bears, Ryan Poles Have Huge Decision Looming at No. 9
Here’s my mindset on the #Bears at No. 9:
1. 4 QBs go before them & you’re all but guaranteed one of Alt, Nabers/Odunze, or Turner.
2. 3 QBs go & all 4 of those other names also go. The Bears are sitting in prime trade down position for 11, 12, or 13.
Great spot to be in.
While trade-up scenarios are exciting, the Bears are most likely staying put at nine or trading down. Poles has said the team plans on laying out its options at No. 9, specifically.
“One team is going to talk about, ‘The tackle position is the best to go after’ [or] ‘the wide receiver’s the best’ [or] ‘the defensive end’s the best.’ — and use factual information to kinda spit that out,” Poles said, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “And we’ll have a debate in terms of what’s more impactful for our football team, short-term and long-term.”
Those evaluations coupled with how the draft board falls will determine what Poles and company do at nine. If a player the caliber of Rome Ozunze, Malik Nabers or Joe Alt is still there, Chicago will likely snatch him up. If not, a trade-down is the most likely scenario.
Still, if Poles falls in love with a prospect he isn’t sure will still be there at No. 9, he has shown enough aggressiveness to make a trade-up possible.