The Chicago Bears did the only thing they needed to do in a season where the playoffs were a deep, distant dream. They lost enough games to secure the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
That leaves them with the opportunity to dictate how this spring’s draft unfolds. The Bears could hold onto the selection and add a star to its young corps, but the most valuable prospect in this year’s draft is Alabama quarterback Bryce Young — a very good player who plays the same position as Justin Fields.
Fields has languished for two seasons with an offense that’s surrounded him with old subway turnstiles on his offensive line and a bunch of water-damaged mannequins at wide receiver. Despite this, he still managed to generate moments of absolute electricity behind center.
This suggests the smart move would be for Chicago to pass up on the opportunity to draft Young and instead auction off the top pick to find the talent that can help Fields realize his star potential The Bears can slide back in the first round, glean multiple high value draft picks in exchange for No. 1 overall and bolster their roster with offensive tackles, wide receivers and defensive help — all of which will be plentiful in the mid-first, second and third rounds.
There’s no guarantee that’s what Chicago will do, but it’s clear the top pick is a broachable subject for the Bears front office this offseason. Who’d be interested? Turns out, a lot of teams: