Bears Should Trade No. 1 Pick in 2024 Draft Amid Latest Justin Fields, NFL Rumors

In 2023, the Chicago Bears traded the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. In 2024, could they do it again?

Because Chicago owns the Carolina Panthers' first-round selection in the upcoming draft, the Bears are slated to pick at No. 1 on April 25 in Detroit. The Panthers are guaranteed of finishing with the worst record in the NFL, as they're entering Week 18 with a 2-14 mark.

That leaves the Bears with two possible paths: Use the No. 1 pick (likely on a quarterback) or trade down for the second consecutive year and acquire even more capital for future drafts.

When Chicago moved down in 2023, it received quite a haul from Carolina. The Panthers, who were originally slated to pick at No. 9, swapped first-rounders and gave up a second-round selection, a 2024 first-rounder, a 2025 second-rounder and wide receiver DJ Moore.

If the Bears trade down again in 2024, they could get even more. According to a recent report by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Courtney Cronin, Chicago could get an "immense" return by parting with this year's No. 1 overall pick, citing several executives who believe the team would land a larger return than 2023.

"Those execs believe the price to get to No. 1 could be two future first-rounders on top of this year's pick, along with a variation of a Day 2 pick and/or a premium veteran player on a manageable contract," Fowler and Cronin wrote.

The alternative is the Bears use the No. 1 selection on a quarterback—likely either USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye—and moves on from Justin Fields. The 2021 first-round pick hasn't quite lived up to expectations over his first three NFL seasons.

In that scenario, Chicago would likely look to move Fields. The 24-year-old could bring in a second- or third-round pick in a pre-draft trade, per a consensus from an informal poll of league evaluators conducted by ESPN.

But maybe there's a middle ground. Perhaps there's a way the Bears could reap the benefits of trading the No. 1 pick and also part with Fields, taking a chance on another one of the top QBs in this year's draft class.

Fowler and Cronin reported that teams already likely to pick in the top five could look to move up to No. 1. The Washington Commanders and the New England Patriots (who would pick at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively, if the season was already over) may both be in the market for a quarterback.

The Commanders have gotten inconsistent results from second-year QB Sam Howell this season. Meanwhile, Mac Jones appears to no longer be considered the Patriots' franchise quarterback.

If Chicago traded down a spot or two (or maybe even a few more), it would likely receive a large return. Then, it may still have a chance to take either Williams or Maye, or perhaps another top QB prospect such as LSU's Jayden Daniels, the Heisman Trophy winner this season.

There's a lot for the Bears to consider, and they have several months to evaluate their options. But for a team that hasn't had a winning campaign since 2018 (and will finish either 8-9 or 7-10 this season), it's hard to turn down offers that could net so much draft capital.

The Bears still have plenty of holes to fill, including one at quarterback. Whichever route they take, it should probably involve turning the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft to multiple top selections, just as they did last year.