The Chicago Bears will have to wait a bit to make their first selection of Day 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Or will they? According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears have had conversations about moving up in the draft, possibly as high as No. 32, the first pick of the round currently held by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
From NFL Draft Kickoff: Could the #Steelers trade No. 32? pic.twitter.com/NsJR9qwjkP
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 28, 2023
Rapoport mentions a number of teams who have inquired about moving up last night into the first round as it was winding down on Thursday evening and the Bears were one of them. Could they still be interested and put together a package to entice the Steelers? Interestingly enough, the No. 32 pick originally belonged to the Bears before they dealt it in exchange for wide receiver Chase Claypool.
Without that pick, Bears aren’t on the clock again until No. 53 with the selection they acquired from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for Roquan Smith. That would be 43 slots in between the Bears’ first pick of the draft where they selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 pick.
Should the Bears look to move up all the way to No. 32, it could cost the Bears a pretty penny, including one of their future first-round picks. But there are quite a few prospects still on the board with first-round grades such as cornerback Joey Porter Jr., safety Brian Branch, and tight end Michael Mayer. Perhaps they have their eye on someone they know won’t be available later on.