Bears Gaining Steam on Possible Jalen Carter Trade: Report

Getty The Bears could have options if Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter is still on the board at No. 9 overall.

The Chicago Bears could find themselves weighing options about what to do with the No. 9 overall pick if Georgia star Jalen Carter is still on the board.

In his Football Morning in America column for April 17, Peter King of NBC Sports wrote that one of the rumors he has been hearing is that the Pittsburgh Steelers are motivated to trade up from the 17th pick to the ninth pick if Carter remains available after the first eight selection in the first round of next week’s 2023 NFL draft.

“Jalen Carter has two visits to top-10 teams left before Wednesday’s deadline for players to make pre-draft visits to teams,” King wrote. “That’s what agent Drew Rosenhaus told me Saturday. I’ll tell you the team that is the most perfect fit for Carter in the NFL: the Pittsburgh Steelers, who’d have to trade up from 17 to get him.”

King also circled back to the subject later in his column, writing that there would not be a “more perfect” coach for Carter at the NFL level than Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomlin and dubbing the Steelers trading up with the Bears as his “best rumor of the week.”

Now, while King refers to the Bears-Steelers possibility as a rumor, it is important to note that such a scenario has been gaining momentum over the past few weeks. On April 10, E.J. Snyder of Windy City Gridiron reported that Chicago and Pittsburgh had been having trade talks about the Bears potentially sliding back further into the first round to No. 17 overall, a deal that would likely net them another Day 2 selection. The Bears — desperate for another high-quality offensive tackle — would also have a strong chance of still finding great value at the position with the 17th pick.

What Could Steelers Offer Bears for No. 9 Overall?

The Steelers certainly have the resources to make the Bears a compelling offer for the No. 9 overall pick. They hold a pair of second-round selections that are each more valuable than the Bears’ first second-rounder at No. 53 overall. The better of the Steelers’ two second-round picks — No. 32 overall — also originally belonged to the Bears, who traded it to get wide receiver Chase Claypool at the 2022 trade deadline.

According to Draftek’s trade value chart, the Bears could get a near-fair exchange if they swapped first-rounders with the Steelers and added their 49th pick in the process, but Chicago could also be more aggressive and target the 32nd pick if they are willing to add one of their other Day 2 selections — Picks 53, 61 and 64 — to the deal for Pittsburgh. Former Bears scout Greg Gabriel had previously pitched Chicago flipping both of their second-round picks for both of Pittsburgh’s in a trade-down deal, essentially allowing them to move down in the first round but up twice in the talent-deep second round.

Would Bears general manager Ryan Poles pass up Carter with the ninth pick, though?

Bears Said to ‘Highly’ Value Jalen Carter as Prospect

Even with options to consider, the Bears might simply not be interested in trading away the rights to draft Carter if the scenario plays out that way for them in the first round. According to ESPN national reporter Matt Miller, the Bears are “said to value [Carter] highly” and are determined to not let him slip past them with the No. 9 overall pick. Given he would fill a vital role as the three-technique defensive tackle in head coach Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 defensive system, Carter could be a dream come true for Chicago.

There is also the fact that Carter might not even fall far enough for the Bears to be able to consider their options. In his column, King mentioned how “an increasing number of people around the league think Jalen Carter has done enough in his visits to not sink like a stone on draft night.” He also added how it has become “almost a cliché” how many team officials believe the Seattle Seahawks will take Carter at No. 5 overall. As good of a fit as Carter could make for the Bears or Steelers, the Seahawks could use a new defensive tackle as one of the centerpieces of their defense and will have first crack.

The first round of the 2023 NFL draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 27.