The Bears had the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and they chose to trade down and build around quarterback Justin Fields, rather than draft another quarterback. Three games into the season, that’s looking like a mistake.
The Bears are 0-3, Fields is playing poorly, and for Bears fans, the 2024 draft may be the only reason for optimism.
That’s because the Bears have both their own first-round pick and the Panthers’ first-round pick, which they acquired by trading down from the top spot this year. The Bears and Panthers are two of the NFL’s four 0-3 teams, so the Bears will almost certainly be drafting high in 2024, and may have the first pick or a combination of picks that could let them trade up to No. 1.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams is widely viewed as the top prospect in next year’s draft, and North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is also viewed as a franchise quarterback. The Bears would be thrilled to draft one of those two.
Of course, the very fact that we’re talking about the Bears drafting a quarterback is an indication of just how bad Fields has been this year. And the Bears’ failure to win with Fields this year could mean that someone other than Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus will be the GM and coach picking the Bears’ quarterback in 2024.
2023-09-25 19:44:07
#NFL #draft #reason #optimism #Bears
