NEWSLETTER
With the Super Bowl in our rearview mirror, the NFL Draft becomes a larger piece of our focus as we move toward building out the 2024 Chicago Bears roster.
Since arriving in 2022, Bears General Manager Ryan Poles has been clear about wanting to focus on building through the NFL Draft. He’ll get his next chance to do so in 73 days. And if he can pull off this dream scenario that NFL Media draft analyst Chad Reuter offers up, Chicago’s football team will be well-positioned to be competitive in 2024 — and beyond. Here is who Reuter has the Bears taking in his first post-Super Bowl three-round mock draft:
This might be the most creative mock draft involving the Bears that we’ll see all offseason. For me, it might also count as the best-case scenario for Chicago’s offseason.
If Poles can pull *THIS* off, I imagine his smile will look something like the image below (if not, larger and more beaming):
With that being said, let’s try to understand how Reuter lands on the Bears getting Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. (who are arguably this draft class’ top two prospects) while also trading quarterback Justin Fields in the process.
Here’s how the Chicago Bears dream scenario comes together
Here is what Chad Reuter proposes:
Now, I can already sense the mega eye rolls from the other side of the screen. And don’t get it twisted. I understand why that might be your default stance. This would be an absolute *DREAM* scenario for the Bears to get Caleb Williams and Marvin Harrison Jr. in the 2024 NFL Draft. But let me be clear, this isn’t me proposing this. And it isn’t even another Bears fan doing so. This is a long-in-the-tooth, seasoned veteran who is a draft analyst working under the NFL’s media umbrella.
Besides, brushing it aside as something that can’t happen would be foolish — especially when it happened just last year. Remember, the Houston Texans moved up from No. 12 to No. 3 in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals that ultimately looked like this:
The blueprint is there, people! If you refuse to acknowledge it, then that is on you.
Of course, for this to play out, a few things will have to happen in New England Patriots camp. Firstly, they will have to not be enamored with the quarterbacks who are on the board after Caleb Williams and Drake Maye go off the board with the first two picks. Maybe they won’t be into LSU Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. Perhaps Michigan national champion J.J. McCarthy isn’t their cup of tea. Secondly, they’ll probably need to not be digging next year’s crop of QB talent. Otherwise, it would make more sense for the Pats to take Marvin Harrison Jr. and team him with a quarterback in 2025.
But if one of those quarterback prospects doesn’t entice New England, then it could put them in play for Justin Fields. It is possible the Patriots’ best path to success in a rugged AFC East is to bring in Fields as a two-year bridge, reset the position in 2026 either with Fields or a quarterback to be chosen in two years. This isn’t some inconceivable line of thinking. Creative? Sure. Impossible? Nah.
As for the Bears end of things, it is truly as simple as it gets. Adding the best quarterback prospect with the first pick and the best non-quarterback with a second first-rounder is a dream scenario. Putting together a collection of skill position players featuring D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and Marvin Harrison Jr. could make life as a rookie easier for Caleb Williams. As someone who watched this franchise not put Mitchell Trubisky or Justin Fields in the best position to be successful, this aggressive approach would be a departure from past failures. And I’m very much into that idea.
There are going to be a ton of NFL mock drafts that are pushed out the door between now and April 27. But Chad Reuter is among the handful of draft analysts whose mocks carry additional weight. Not only has Reuter been at this for a while, but he also presents draft analysis and insight with depth and perspective. This isn’t to say Reuter’s work is predictive. Instead, what it does is provide a larger understanding of an inexact science. No matter which way you slice it, this will be fun to follow.
