Here's What Trading Down Could Net Bears in NFL Draft
Trading down makes sense in so many ways for the Chicago Bears on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
When you're sitting there from the 50th pick until Pick No. 140 overall far too much talent goes flying past to other teams.
It's very likely the Bears could get players comparable to their 50th pick in Round 2 at a late second-round pick or third-round pick and also receive other picks in a trade. It works this way in the draft every year.
The question facing the Bears is what they can anticipate receiving.
Ryan Pace has moved up and down extensively in the draft but in general he's been at his best dealing down.
In 2016 he traded the 41st pick overall to Buffalo and got back the 49th pick, a fourth-rounder (117 overall) and a fourth-round pick the following year. Then he took that 49th pick in Round 2 he received and traded down again for the 56th pick in Round 2 and received an extra fourth-round pick.
Basically Pace stayed in the same round and gathered in three fourth-round picks.
What he did with the picks isn't as important as what he was able to get in return. For the sake of attaching names to the deals, it turned out the Bears then were able to draft Cody Whitehair in Round 2 and Deon Bush in Round 4.
It doesn't always mean trading to take a player later in the round or the draft. Those later picks acquired sometimes turn out to be extra pieces to make a trade work. For instance, Pace took that 117th pick in Round 4 he acquired in 2016 by trading down and the next year used it packaged with a sixth-rounder to trade up five spots and select Eddie Jackson in Round 4.
The trades Pace made in 2016 were a while ago and over time the compensation on trades can change.
The Bears are at 43 if they dealt it this year they might receive something like what the Cincinnati Bengals received by trading away the 42nd pick to Denver last year. The Bengals got another second-round pick, No. 52 overall, as well as a fourth-rounder (125) and a sixth-rounder (182).
Certainly Pace would love to have that fourth-rounder back to make up for the one he traded for Nick Foles.
Here's what happened last year in Round 2 with other trades when teams traded down. Some are very relevant to the Bears, particularly those around No. 43 and No. 50 where they pick this year.
Trading Second Rounders in 2019
- Jacksonville traded No. 35 as well as a fifth-rounder and seventh-rounder to Oakland and moved down three spots in Round 2 to No. 38 but also received a fourth-round pick.
- Carolina traded the No. 37 pick to Seattle and got back the 47th pick in Round 2 as well as a third-rounder (No. 77).
- Buffalo traded the No. 38 pick to Oakland to move down two spots to No. 40 and in return received the 158th pick in Round 5.
- L.A. Rams traded the No. 45 pick to the New England Patriots and got back the 56th pick in Round 2 as well as a third-round pick, No. 101.
- The Indianapolis Colts traded the No. 46 pick last year in Round 2 to Cleveland and in return received another second-rounder, No. 49 overall, and a fifth-rounder (No. 144).
- Miami traded the No. 48 pick in Round 2 and a fourth-rounder (116) to New Orleans and received a second-rounder (No. 62), a sixth-rounder (202) and also a second-round pick in 2020.
- L.A. Rams traded the 56th pick in Round 2 they acquired earlier in a trade to Kansas City and moved down five spots to take No. 61 in Round 2 and a fifth-rounder (167).
Based on these moves, the Bears could easily trade down with No. 50, get another second-round pick instead, and maybe a late third-rounder or an early fourth-round pick.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
