Bears' Rooting Guide for 2024 NFL Draft Implications of Week 9
Chicago Bears fans have become fairly familiar with tracking where they will wind up picking in an upcoming NFL draft.
The 2023 season is turning out to be no exception. The only difference is the Bears have two potential top picks with the Carolina Panthers giving them their 2024 first-round selection as part of the trade to move up to No. 1 and select Bryce Young.
That trade is looking good for Chicago so far. If the draft were to start today they would be selecting No. 2 and No. 3 overall. While the struggles of this season have been frustrating, the opportunity to find two potential cornerstones in the top three picks is reason for hope.
A 30-12 win over the Las Vegas Raiders did offer some hope, but the 30-13 loss to the Chargers in a nationally televised game brought that crashing down.
Here's a look at three games other than the Bears trip to New Orleans that could give them hope to snag the No. 1 pick.
Current Top 10 Draft Order
1 of 4
1. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
2. Chicago Bears (from CAR 1-6)
3. Chicago Bears (2-6)
4. New York Giants (2-6)
5. New England Patriots (2-6)
6. Green Bay Packers (2-5)
7. Indianapolis Colts (3-5)
8. Las Vegas Raiders (3-5)
9. Denver Broncos (3-5)
10. Los Angeles Rams (3-5)
Colts over Panthers
2 of 4
The ultimate result for the Bears faithful would be that the Panthers earn the No. 1 pick for them. It would put Chicago in the driver's seat of the draft for the second year in a row and give them even more options than they had last season without all the losing.
The Panthers paid the price to move up for Bryce Young, but the rookie quarterback hasn't made them a winner yet. The Panther became the last team in the league to pick up a win with a 15-13 win over the Houston Texans.
They'll look to beat an AFC South opponent for the second week in a row when they host the Indianapolis Colts.
Frank Reich should be familiar with the Colts. He was fired by the team last season before landing the Panthers gig.
This one might be closer than Bears fans are going to be comfortable with. The colts started the season strong but have lost Anthony Richardson for the season and have lost three consecutive games.
With Gardner Minshew as the starter, the Colts are 1-3 this season. They're latest skid includes double-digit losses to the Saints and Jaguars.
If the Panthers find a way to lose at home to a slumping Colts team then the Bears are in a good position.
Cardinals over Browns
3 of 4
The Bears want the Cardinals to win on Sunday when they play the Cleveland Browns. The problem is that it doesn't look like the Cardinals necessarily want to.
The Cards traded away Josh Dobbs at the trade deadline. The veteran has started every game this season as the Cards have gone 1-7 but he at least posted a respectable 46.6 QBR, which ranked 19th in the league.
Now they might be rolling out fifth-round pick Clayton Tune against one of the best defenses in the league on Sunday.
Tune is a good athlete with some potential to become a legitimate NFL backup, but the Browns pass rush, which features Myles Garrett and Za'Darius Smith, will make it difficult for him to look good.
The other possibility is that Kyler Murray will make his 2023 debut. He's been a full participant at practice but the team has not officially activated him yet. However, Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported that Murray is "fired up" about potentially suiting up against Cleveland.
The Bears should be rooting for Murray to return and show that he is healthy and ready to play. A win by the Cardinals and a loss for the Panthers would put the Bears back in the No. 1 spot for the draft.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Giants over Raiders
4 of 4
According to ESPN's draft order projections, the Giants are the most dangerous of the two-win teams to threaten the Bears draft pick priority. Their current projections have the Giants working themselves into the No. 3 spot between the pick the Bears get from Carolina at No. 2 and the pick the Bears will get at No. 4.
After watching the Giants in a 13-10 loss to the New York Jets, it's hard to argue.
The Giants offensive performance might have set football back 50 years. Tyrod Taylor and Tommy DeVito combined for seven yards passing. The game featured more punts than points.
Through excellent defense and some fortunate breaks, the Jets have managed to go 4-3. The Giants now sit at 2-6.
Yet, they have a chance to get some positive momentum on Sunday. The Las Vegas Raiders lost to Detroit 26-14 last week and ended up firing head coach Josh McDaniels and general manager Dave Ziegler.
That opens the door for the Giants to get back on track and beat a reeling Raiders team that already has three wins this season.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
