This season was never going to end with a playoff berth, but with how bad the Chicago Bears have been outside of Justin Fields, the 2023 NFL Draft could be getting a lot more interesting.
Most would have assumed the Bears would win anywhere between three and seven games, depending upon how optimistic the opinion.
But, after Week 12, the Bears are now 3-9 after having suffered a blowout loss to the New York Jets, 31-10.
It was Mike White who got the start for the Jets on Sunday, meanwhile Fields sat out due to his shoulder injury. The Jets took off and never looked back, and now the Bears are sitting fairly high in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Currently, the Chicago Bears own the number 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Next year’s draft features a couple of premier quarterback names, which is something the Bears would typically be all-in on. But, because Fields has proven he is their guy, the Bears no longer have a need at quarterback like they typically do.
Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Alabama’s Bryce Young could end up going first and second overall in this draft, but the question then becomes, what do the Bears do with the pick?
If Chicago ends up staying in the number 2 spot by season’s end, general manager Ryan Poles will have some decisions to make. Surely, there will be another team that would want to trade up for the Bears’ pick in order to land a franchise quarterback.
At number 3, the Los Angeles Rams’ pick ends up going to the Detroit Lions. This is one of the most interesting spots, because Jared Goff has actually played well in spurts this season. Still, the Lions couldn’t possibly pass up an opportunity to land a franchise quarterback. So, with the Houston Texans more than likely taking a quarterback at number 1, that means the Bears could end up pulling off a trade within the division.
The Lions would have to move up one spot, and Bears fans would hope Poles makes them pay.
Now, the other option would be the Bears staying put at two overall and going with Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson, who some view as the best player in the entire draft class. Adding a premier pass rusher would be in their best interest, for sure, but maybe the Bears move down just one spot and can still get Anderson.