Since the moment the Chicago Bears secured the number one overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the takes have been wild.
Sure, on one hand you have the sensible thoughts from fans and media who truly get it. Those opinions mostly include general manager Ryan Poles trading the pick and securing a haul of draft capital in return. With that haul of draft capital, Poles can then continue building around franchise quarterback Justin Fields, getting him the necessary protection and weapons he deserves.
That would only make sense, right?
Yet, on another end of the spectrum, you have some media and fans who think the Bears should stay at number one, trade Fields, only to draft another quarterback like Alabama’s Bryce Young and, in essence, start over again.
Say what you will about sports media, as everyone has their favorite outlet and trusted “expert” these days. But, the idea of the Bears starting over seems quite hilarious, especially after the exciting breakout we saw from Fields last season.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is in on the Chicago Bears building around Justin Fields and skipping on the quarterback position in the 2023 NFL Draft class
In the same radio segment Kiper said a double-trade-down scenario is possible for the Bears in this year’s draft, he also gave some high praise to Fields.
“To me, there is no quarterback in this draft better than Justin Fields,” Kiper said on Waddle and Silvy.
Wow, that is extremely high praise for a polarizing quarterback such as Fields.
After last season, some people believe Fields is going to be great. Some, on the other hand, believe he’s just a running quarterback with limited passing potential.
Kiper, one of the most well-known draft experts of the last two decades, believes Fields is better than any quarterback in this class — and that includes Bryce Young.
There are a lot of people who believe Young is the real deal, and that he’s as surefire a pick as we’ve seen in quite some time. And that might be true, but the Bears sticking with Fields makes far more sense than drafting another rookie.
Kiper is right, too. Fields has hardly scratched the surface of what he can do as a pro, and once the Bears put the talent around him, the world will see a completely different side of him.