The Chicago Bears have the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which means they essentially control the draft.
Typically, teams sitting at No. 1 are looking for a quarterback and choose to stay put. But the Bears aren’t looking for a quarterback after finding their man in Justin Fields. Which means they can earn substantial compensation from one or more quarterback needy teams looking to trade and get a top prospect like Alabama’s Bryce Young or Ohio State’s CJ Stroud.
GM Ryan Poles could even trade multiple times and still land a top prospect over a trove of draft picks.
Here’s a look at some teams that could look to trade with the Bears for that No. 1 pick:
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The Colts feel like the most obvious team to trade with the Bears for the top pick. Indianapolis has been in quarterback purgatory since Andrew Luck’s retirement, which includes stints with Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger. The foals are seated at no. 4 overall, and they could still land a better quarterback without choosing to move. But to make sure no one gets ahead of them for a quarterback, it would make sense to trade up to the first pick. Better yet, they would have a choice between Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.
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Remember when the Bears traded a spot from No. 3 to No. 2 to select quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in 2017? Chicago could finally be on the winning side of this trade after the Texans screwed up and let No. 1 win. 1 choice get away from them. If Houston has a particular quarterback prospect at heart, whether it’s Bryce Young or CJ Stroud, they may need to trade draft capital to earn a spot and prevent another team from passing them. Again, if they’re comfortable with one or the other, they could stay put and take whoever’s still on the board.
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With Derek Carr’s future uncertain, the Raiders will likely be looking for a franchise quarterback in the NFL Draft. They currently sit at No. 7 overall, and there are a few quarterback-needy teams ahead of them in the draft. Bryce Young and CJ Stroud are currently the two undisputed top quarterback prospects, which means Las Vegas should trade to edge out the Texans and Colts, who will undoubtedly take a quarterback. But the Raiders could also stay at No. 1. 7 and draft Will Levis, assuming the Seahawks and Lions aren’t in the market for a quarterback.
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The Panthers currently sit with the ninth overall pick in the NFL Draft, and despite late-season performances from Sam Darnold, it’s hard to say they’re not in the market for a quarterback. You could argue with everyone, but Chicago and Arizona could consider signing a quarterback in the top eight picks, which means Carolina would have to give up draft capital to move up and grab one. Luckily, the Bears have the best selection and the Panthers could have their quarterback pick — if the price is right.
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The Titans lost a game before the playoffs, and the difference in that loss to the Jaguars was the quarterback. Ryan Tannehill’s future is uncertain and Malik Willis was benched in his rookie season in favor of Joshua Dobbs, who started his last game against Jacksonville. Tennessee should be looking to acquire a quarterback this offseason, and there are attractive options in the draft. But the Titans sit just outside the top 10, so they should trade to land one of the top three prospects in Bryce Young, CJ Stroud and Will Levis. The Bears aren’t drafting a quarterback, so Tennessee could have their quarterback pick if they trade up to that No. 1 quarterback pick.
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The Falcons drafted Desmond Ridder in the third round of last year’s draft, but they could still look to sign a quarterback with their top-eight pick in the draft. But they sit behind a number of other quarterback-needy teams, which means they should skip them if they fall for one of the draft’s top prospects. Again, it comes down to how the organization views Ridder and their assessment of guys like Bryce Young and CJ Stroud in this draft.
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The Jets are the Bears of five years ago, if not worse, after picking quarterback Zach Wilson in the 2021 draft. Wilson was benched (twice), and despite what the team says not to give up, it’s clear that Wilson isn’t the new answer in New York. Which is disappointing given the Jets’ dominant defense and impressive supporting cast. New York should definitely be in the quarterback market, but they’re unlikely to find one in the draft sitting 13th overall. They could definitely choose to trade with the Bears and get their quarterback pick. But that would be expensive, given that New York is outside the top 10 and would drop to number one.
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The Lions might not be in the immediate market for a young quarterback given Jared Goff’s performance this season. But in case they were — and fell in love with Bryce Young or CJ Stroud — there’s no better time than now. Detroit has two first-round picks in the 2023 NFL Draft — theirs and the Rams’. 6 choices (trade of Matthew Stafford).
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