The Chicago Bears Are on Track to Own the 2024 NFL Draft
If you're a fan of the Chicago Bears, there hasn't been much for your to cheer about lately.
The current iteration of one of the NFL's most historic franchises feels light years and galaxies removed from the "Monsters of the Midway" and the "Super Bowl Shuffle," having not won a playoff game in more than a decade.
Many were hopeful the Bears would start to turn things around this season, but despite improved play from quarterback Justin Fields, and the addition of star wide receiver D.J. Moore, Chicago has still managed just one victory through the first six weeks of the year.
Despite being just one-third of the way through the 2023 campaign, it looks like Bears fans are left to once again set their sights on the offseason.
The only silver lining for the Chicago faithful? The opportunity to control the 2024 NFL Draft.
Despite the impressive play of Justin Fields and D.J. Moore, the Bears could have the top two picks in next year's NFL Draft.
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
In the modern draft era, the same team has owned the top two picks in the draft only once (Indianapolis Colts, 1992). If the draft took place today, the Bears would join them. The Carolina Panthers are the only winless team remaining in the NFL this year, but thanks to this year's pre-draft trade that netted Carolina the No. pick from Chicago, the Bears own the Panthers' first-rounder next year. The Bears' own pick would be No. 2 overall if the season ended today.
Were that scenario play out at the end of the season, the Bears would have the opportunity to reload at the top of the draft in multiple ways.
They could obviously keep both picks, starting over at quarterback with USC's Caleb Williams, and pairing him with another star pass-catcher in Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., or a franchise left tackle in Penn State's Olu Fashanu.
The Bears could pick USC quarterback Caleb Williams, or auction off the No. 1 pick for the second straight year.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic-USA TODAY NETWORK
They could repeat last year's strategy, sticking with Fields and auctioning off the No. 1 pick to the highest bidder. Williams would fetch far more in return than the Bears got last year in return for the right to pick Alabama's Bryce Young, giving them even more premium assets with which to add talent around Fields yet again.
They could trade No. 1 and keep No. 2, loading up on draft capital and still landing an elite talent like Harrison or Fashanu. They could even trade both picks, enticing a team to move up for North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, while they target value at any number of positions a bit further down the board, and stockpiling picks in future years.
No matter which options they choose, it's clear the Bears would be working from a position of power at the top of this year's draft, should the current order hold throughout the rest of the year.
That might finally be what it takes to turn them back into a winner.
