Bears' Rooting Guide for 2022 NFL Draft Implications of Week 16
It's not hard to look at the Chicago Bears' 25-20 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 15 as a net positive.
For the players who are constantly being evaluated and looking to maximize their potential, the goal is to go out and win every week. But at this point in the season, losses aren't the worst thing in the world for the Bears.
With a ton of cap space and a great shot at picking in the top three of the draft, the team is in position to receive an influx of talent.
So the fact that the Bears, with several young players who will be part of the roster going forward, were able to come close to beating the team with the best record in the league right now is a good sign. It's also nice that the loss moved them up to the No. 2 spot in the current draft order.
Let's take a look at that order, where the Bears stand and what games will have an impact on where they will be picking come April.
Current Draft Order
1 of 3
1. Houston Texans
2. Chicago Bears
3. Seattle Seahawks (via Broncos)
4. Detroit Lions (via Rams)
5. Arizona Cardinals
6. Indianapolis Colts
7. Atlanta Falcons
8. Carolina Panthers
9. Philadelphia Eagles (via Saints)
10. Las Vegas Raiders
11. Houston Texans (via Browns)
12. Pittsburgh Steelers
13. Green Bay Packers
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
15. New York Jets
16. Seattle Seahawks
17. New England Patriots
18. Detroit Lions
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
20. Tennessee Titans
21. Washington Commanders
22. Los Angeles Chargers
23. Forfeited (Miami Dolphins)
24. New York Giants
25. Baltimore Ravens
26. Denver Broncos (via 49ers)
27. Cincinnati Bengals
28. Dallas Cowboys
29. Kansas City Chiefs
30. Minnesota Vikings
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Philadelphia Eagles
Draft order via Tankathon. Miami's pick (currently 24 overall) will be forfeited for tampering.
Where the Bears Stand
2 of 3
The Bears are officially in the driver's seat for the No. 2 pick overall. If they don't win another game, they pick after the Houston Texans. That's nearly locked in.
According to ESPN's projections going into Thursday Night Football, the Bears hold a 10.4 percent chance of earning the No. 1 overall pick.
Realistically, the Bears don't necessarily need the top pick. The Texans still hold a two-game lead over the Bears to be first on the clock, and they are in a position where they need a quarterback.
Given Justin Fields' performance this season, the Bears are likely to utilize the pick to either take a foundational player alongside Fields or send the pick to the highest bidder for a war chest of draft picks.
The good news is that ESPN's projections have the Bears finishing out with the No. 2 pick. Here are a few games that will help that prediction come to fruition.
Games to Watch
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Texans at Titans (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET)
If the Bears are going to lose this many games, the goal is obviously the No. 1 pick. Time is running out for them to catch the Texans, though. If the Texans don't win this one, they would have to finish out the season with two wins while the Bears would have to lose out.
In other words, this could be the Bears' final chance to have a shot at the top pick.
The good news is that the Texans have shown signs of life recently. They've lost one-score games to the Chiefs and Cowboys over the last two weeks. Both of those teams are playoff-bound.
The Titans may not be playoff bound after all. The AFC South leaders found out they'll likely be without Ryan Tannehill for the rest of the season. The Texans could benefit from Malik Willis making just his third career start as a rookie.
Broncos at Rams (Sunday, 4:30 p.m. ET)
The battle of the 4-10 Broncos and 4-10 Rams isn't going to be deemed the game of the week by anyone. Both teams are just trying to finish out the season.
It's one of the most important games of the week from a draft perspective, though. Ironically enough, neither of these teams own their first-round pick. The Broncos shipped theirs off to Seattle as part of the deal for Russell Wilson, while the Rams' pick belongs to Detroit as they are still paying on the trade that brought in Matthew Stafford.
The Wilson trade did not transform the Broncos into an immediate playoff team. The Rams, meanwhile, are suffering a horrendous Super Bowl hangover.
From the Bears' perspective, who you root for depends on which team you think is less likely to pick up a win over the final two weeks. The Broncos will see the Chiefs and the Chargers while the Rams finish out with the Chargers and Seahawks.
Of those three teams, the Seahawks are the most vulnerable, so that would mean the Bears should likely be rooting for the Broncos in this spot.
Buccaneers at Cardinals (Sunday, 8:15 p.m. ET)
The Arizona Cardinals are quickly joining the conversation as a team that could be picking in the top five. They've dropped four games in a row and now sit at 4-10 going into Week 16.
The Cardinals offense is much less scary without Kyler Murray under center. The Cardinals turned things over to Colt McCoy, but the 36-year-old is in concussion protocol now, which has pressed Trace McSorley into action.
McSorley will draw his first start against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. How he handles Todd Bowles' aggressive defense is going to be a key factor in whether the Cardinals can pull the upset at home.
The fourth-year player is making his first start but gets a Bucs team that has lost back-to-back games.
A win for the Cardinals would be surprising but it would cut down on the possibility of the Bears' draft stock falling considerably with another win.
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