For the second consecutive season, the Chicago Bears will have the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
By virtue of the Carolina Panthers’ loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Philadelphia Eagles loss against the Arizona Cardinals, the Bears have secured the first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. And there was much rejoicing throughout the land:
The Chicago Bears are on the clock!
Well, kinda.
It would be bold to assume that the Bears would use that pick. They could’ve done so last year and didn’t. Instead, General Manager Ryan Poles pulled off the heist of the year in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. If you’ll recall, Poles was able to snag wide receiver DJ Moore, a future first-round pick and two second-rounders as part of a deal that sent the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to Carolina. Not bad for a GM who many pundits thought wouldn’t get a haul for the pick.
If the Bears decide to keep the pick, there will be a temptation to draft one of the top quarterbacks available. There has been ample chatter about USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye as the top contenders to be taken first overall. But we cannot discount LSU’s Heisman Trophy winner, Jayden Daniels. And while there has long been a general belief that the Bears will take a QB in the first round, it isn’t the only option. After all, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. exists and might be the best overall prospect in this class.
The NFL Draft won’t come around until late April. And if you’re looking for a date duration calculator, I’ll save you the time. We have 116 days to hash this draft stuff out. This means we have plenty of time to talk and write through the Bears’ many options. I’ll be looking forward to it.