Getty Caleb Williams rolling out.
The Washington Commanders currently hold the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. With the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Bears control the draft. What they decide to do with the No. 1 pick will change how the rest of the draft plays out, especially for the Commanders. Do the Bears have enough trust in Justin Fields to trade the pick? Would they move down to No. 2 and send that pick to Washington? These are all questions that should be answered weeks before the April 25 NFL Draft.
Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports released a mock draft. In the mock, the Commanders had the No. 1 pick. Trapasso detailed the trade he made for this mock to work.
“Commanders get: No. 1 overall, No. 122 overall (fourth round), and a 2025 fourth-round pick. Bears get: No. 2 overall, No. 43 overall (second-round pick), No. 79 overall (third-round pick), 2025 first-round pick, 2026 third-round pick.”
With that trade being made in his mock, he had the Commanders drafting Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
“The Commanders make the bold ascension to pair Williams with Kliff Kingsbury in the nation’s capital. New owner Josh Harris puts his stamp on his team.”
Why Would the Bears Trade the No. 1 Pick and Justin Fields?
In this mock draft, Trapasso has the Bears selecting Jayden Daniels out of LSU with the No. 2 pick. He traded Fields and a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Atlanta Falcons for the No. 74 pick and more.
“The Bears opt for door No. 2 that features the reigning Heisman winner and a boatload of picks to continue to build the roster.”
It’s an interesting thought that they would trade the No. 1 pick and Fields, but not draft Williams. Daniels did impress during his college career, winning the Heisman Trophy in the 2023-24 season. He threw for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns, and 4 interceptions. That includes a 95.6 QBR, the best in the country. Daniels added another 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.
With the Bears landing the Commanders 2025 first-round pick, that could intrigue them to get the deal done. Similar to the framework that landed them the Carolina Panthers first-round pick, which is now the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, they could pick No. 1 overall again next season.
Just because the Washington Commanders would draft Williams in this scenario doesn’t mean they wouldn’t struggle. A new head coach and rookie quarterback is asking for a slow start and potential year of being one of the worst teams in football.
What’s Fair Value for the No. 1 Pick?
If the Chicago Bears do indeed trade the No. 1 pick to the Washington Commanders, what they receive in return will be interesting to see. The No. 2 pick and future draft compensation seems fair, but that depends on how team’s value Williams.
Matt Miller on ESPN’s “Get Up” gave his thoughts on moving the pick and the value of it:
“If you trade from No. 1 to No. 2, let Washington take Caleb Williams and you take Drake Maye, you’re going to get draft capital from Washington. You’re also going to turn around and trade Justin Fields for a second round pick and we saw Ryan Poles attempt to do this last year, so there’s precedent. They didn’t want to go from 1 to 9. They wanted to go from 1 to 2, and then restart the conversation about trading back one more time. It didn’t workout that way, but I do think there’s a conversation to be had.”