Report: Bears, Patriots 'Canvassing' Picks 7-10 to Trade Up for QB in NFL Draft

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

Quarterback-needy teams are running out of time to trade up in the 2021 NFL draft, but the Chicago Bears and New England Patriots are reportedly doing their due diligence one day before it starts.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, both teams have "canvassed" the Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Dallas Cowboys about a potential trade into the Nos. 7-10 spots. 

"I suspect at least one of them pulls it off," La Canfora wrote.

Chicago has been searching for an answer at quarterback for years and took a step back as an organization when it traded up in the 2017 NFL draft only to select Mitchell Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson.

New England does not have a long-term answer in place at the position with Cam Newton signed through just the 2021 campaign.

There are five quarterbacks who figure to go in the first round in Clemson's Trevor Lawrence, BYU's Zach Wilson, Ohio State's Justin Fields, North Dakota State's Trey Lance and Alabama's Mac Jones, but they could start flying off the board in the early going.

It would be surprising at this point if the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers did anything but draft three of them with the first three picks, which will leave teams like the Patriots and Bears, who have the Nos. 15 and 20 picks, respectively, scrambling to potentially move up if they are locked in on taking a quarterback in the first round.

✨ Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content

Denver is of particular interest considering NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported it acquired Teddy Bridgewater from the Carolina Panthers via trade Wednesday.

While the Broncos could still look quarterback at No. 9, trading down with the Patriots or Bears may give them an opportunity to address multiple positions around Bridgewater or Drew Lock as they look to compete during the 2021 season.

Plus, having multiple teams battling to move up could help Denver or any other team drive up the price in any potential deal.