Bears general manager Ryan Pace has garnered a reputation in the NFL Draft for trading future draft capital and going all-in on players that he believes in. Although, it hasn’t always worked out.
Pace has traded up each of the last four drafts with mixed results. In 2016, he traded up to land outside linebacker Leonard Floyd in the first round and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski in the fourth round. In 2017, Pace traded up one spot to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky No. 2 overall, and he also traded up in the fourth round to land safety Eddie Jackson.
Pace continued the trend in 2018, when he traded up to select receiver Anthony Miller in the second round. Even last year, Pace moved up 13 spots in the third round to select running back David Montgomery.
But something Pace is not known for is trading down to accumulate picks, although he has done so on a couple of occasions.
In a recent mock draft, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune hinted that the Bears are expected to trade down in the second round, which would certainly go against the norm.
The Bears are expected to seek a trade down with at least one of their second-round picks to add depth to their class.
Considering the Bears have just two draft picks in the first four rounds — and with a number of roster needs — it would make sense for Pace to trade back and lock up an extra draft pick, perhaps before the fifth round.
The interesting part about Biggs’ note is that he mentioned seeking a trade with “at least one” of those picks, hinting that trading down with both second-round picks isn’t necessarily out of the question.
This NFL Draft is different from last year’s for Chicago in that it’s not about selecting the best player available. This year, the Bears have several roster needs both on offense and defense that need to be addressed with Chicago’s limited draft capital.
When all is said and done, whether Pace decides to trade back ultimately depends on whether or not one of his guys is still on the board when Pick 43 or 50 rolls around.
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