It was not the season Chicago Bears fans wanted, but a year after finishing with the worst record in the league, the Bears went 4-2 over their last six games to flirt with a .500 finish. Chicago now has an offseason ahead filled with interesting decisions. The Bears have the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft as a result of their league finish and also own the number-one overall pick in the draft. That top pick was part of last year's trade with the Carolina Panthers.
Chicago must decide whether it wants to keep the top pick or trade down again. In doing so, the team also must consider the future of quarterback Justin Fields. Fields has one more year left on his rookie deal and the Bears could choose to select an elite quarterback prospect like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye with the number-one pick. Trading down would likely signal that the team still trusts Fields to be their QB of the future.
The Bears' decision could also be affected by the trade packages other teams offer for the top pick. Many franchises are in search of their star quarterback to lead them forward, which means trading up to select Williams or Maye. Here are five teams that should look to acquire the number-one overall pick from the Chicago Bears.
New England Patriots
The Patriots finished with their worst season in three decades at 4-13, and their reward is the #3 overall pick in this year's draft. Normally, that is a highly favorable position to be in. But with so much uncertainty at the top of the draft, the Pats might want to trade up. After their offensive debacle in 2023 (fewest points scored per game) New England is in desperate need of a franchise quarterback. Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are the obvious top two candidates, but there is no guarantee that either drop to third in the NFL draft.
The Bears could surprise and take a QB, or trade to another team in search of a QB. The Commanders also will be looking at a quarterback in the second overall slot. The Pats may need to trade up to ensure they can draft their future franchise quarterback.
Atlanta Falcons
Given nearly a full season at the helm of the Falcons offense, Desmond Ridder was unable to take advantage. The second-year quarterback finished with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 13 starts while averaging less than 200 yards per game in the air. With a strong rushing attack in place, the Falcons are still just a quarterback away from boasting a threatening offense.
Atlanta could take a chance on a QB like Michael Penix or Jayden Daniels in the eight slot, but the franchise will feel much more confident in selecting Maye or Williams. It is highly unlikely that either will drop outside the top five, so the Falcons will need to trade up to get the QB they want.
Minnesota Vikings
The big question for Minnesota this offseason is whether the team decides to re-sign Kirk Cousins. If the franchise decides to bring back its big-name QB, then it will stay put at pick number 11 and look to improve its line on both sides of the ball. Should Cousins end up elsewhere, the play of Jaren Hall, Joshua Dobbs, and Nick Mullens this season proved that the Vikes need an upgrade at the quarterback position. As with Atlanta, Penix or Daniels will likely be available at Minnesota's draft slot, but trading up to number one gets the team more of a sure thing.
Denver Broncos
Russell Wilson is as good as gone in Denver after not starting the team's last two games, but the Broncos do not have a good replacement for him. Jarrett Stidham has a career 78.3 passer rating with just four starts in four years while Ben Dinucci has one start in four pro seasons. Denver could look to acquire a veteran signal-caller like Kirk Cousins or look more toward the future and select a quarterback in the NFL Draft.
Las Vegas Raiders
Aidan O'Connell performed admirably while making a surprising 10 starts in 2023. The rookie went 5-5 with 12 TDs to 7 INTs and a passer rating of 83.9. He also finished the year with two of his best performances in the silver and black, with more than 240 yards to go with two touchdowns in no picks in each of the last two games of the season.
Still, does the franchise trust O'Connell moving forward? The team turned to him after the poor early-season showings by Jimmy Garoppolo, but the offense has a clear ceiling with O'Connell under center. It is more likely that the Raiders will address needs across the offensive and defensive lines, then take a QB later in the NFL draft. But Las Vegas will certainly be a team looking for a potential move to the number-one overall pick.
Follow Us
Subscribe