Losing to the Detroit Lions was tough to watch. Still, it gave the Chicago Bears a result they could be happy with. That defeat dropped them to 3-13. It means the most they can do is four wins this season if they somehow top Minnesota next week. Even with a win, the Bears are guaranteed at least the 4th overall pick. That may frustrate fans who want the #2 or even the #1 picks. That said, there are reasons to be happy about this development. It means the odds are now high the Bears will land one of the top two non-QB players in the entire draft.
Let’s cover what we already know. It is almost a foregone conclusion the Houston Texans will take a quarterback #1 overall. Davis Mills isn’t the guy. Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are clearly the two best QBs in the 2023 class. Houston will make one of them the top pick. That means Will Anderson and Jalen Carter, widely considered the best prospects in the class who aren’t QBs, would have to go #2 and #3 for the Bears not to land one of them. That feels unlikely. It would be a considerable shock if another team didn’t move up to one of those spots to get the other quarterback.
The Chicago Bears would benefit even if it happened that way.
Say Seattle and Arizona take Anderson and Carter at those spots. While unfortunate for the Bears, it wouldn’t be a lost cause. That means Chicago would control the rights to the other top quarterback on the board with the Colts sitting right behind them at #5. Teams will surely know Indianapolis would take the QB, meaning they’d need the Bears’ #4 spot to get him. It would be the perfect trade-down scenario. History says Poles should be able to get a future 1st round pick in almost any deal. Cleveland did in 2014 and 2017. Even the Bears did back in 2003 under Jerry Angelo.
So the Chicago Bears have no reason to be upset about their position. If they lose, great. They pick at least 2nd overall with a chance to get #1 if Houston beats Indianapolis. If they win, they’re still in the top five and get one of two scenarios. A top defender slips to them at #4, or they hold the right to the other top quarterbacks. You can’t ask for much better than that. Fans should sit back and relax next Sunday. The outcome of the game itself is almost inconsequential. This team will be sitting pretty in April either way.
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