The biggest question around the NFL right now is what the Chicago Bears will do in the 2024 NFL draft. Do they take Caleb Williams with the first overall pick and start a new rebuild? Or will the Bears stick with Justin Fields, and they proceed to trade down and acquire more assets? It’s a question that’s divided the fanbase somewhat.
In his retirement column, Peter King talked about what the Bears’ plan in the upcoming draft. As it turns out, King’s sources also report that the Bears are likely to trade Fields and use the first overall pick to draft Williams. However, the long-time NFL columnist outlined his own plan for the first overall pick. Spoiler alert: it does not involve drafting the USC QB.
“What I say: The Bears could keep Justin Fields (and should), and trade the first pick down once or twice, and build the kind of supporting cast a team needs to contend. Suppose GM Ryan Poles traded the top pick down one spot to Washington (which would take Caleb Williams), and got the second pick, a second-round pick and a 2025 first-round pick in return. Then suppose Poles traded the second pick to Atlanta at eight, and the Falcons picked one of the other quarterbacks. In return, Chicago gets the eighth pick, Atlanta’s second-round pick, and first- and second-round picks next year.”
The result of all of these hypothetical deals? Two first-rounders and two second-rounders this year, and three firsts and two seconds in 2025. That’s a damn good haul for any team, and it would be enough to build a team from the ground up. It all relies on the Bears drafting excellent players with their picks. With that many picks, though, it would be tough to mess it up.
This trade, of course, hinges on how much the Bears love Justin Fields over Caleb Williams. Fields has had a tumultuous career full of highs and lows. He hasn’t taken the steps needed to be an elite passer in the NFL, but his legs have given Chicago’s running game life. Despite King’s suggestion, it seems more and more likely that Chicago drafts Caleb Williams and ditches Justin Fields.
