Report: Chicago Bears Keep Justin Fields, Collect 10 Draft Picks Via Trade In Wild Scenario

The Chicago Bears stand to gain a lot from their overall no. 1 pick in this year’s NFL Draft. USC blue chip quarterback prospect, Heisman Award winner Caleb Williams will be there for the taking, of course. But then there’s that no. 1 pick, itself, and the riches it could bring the team if they structured the right deal around trading it away.

In a mock draft conducted by NBC Sports Chicago, a scenario was conjured up by which Chicago would trade down– twice– in this year’s draft for a mega-haul that would bring the team ten high-value draft picks for their overall no. 1 slot and, presumably, the right to draft Williams.

Here’s how it would work:

The Double Trade Details

The Bears would swap their no. 1 pick for the New England Patriots’ no. 3 pick. In the deal, aside from the Patriots’ first round pick, Chicago would get their third-round pick (no. 68) in this year’s draft; their fourth-round pick (no. 139); plus New England’s first and second round picks in 2025.

Then, Chicago would trade away their newly acquired no. 3 pick to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Falcons’ no. 8 pick in the first round. The Bears would also get Atlanta’s third-round pick (no. 74) and its fifth-round pick (no. 145) in this year’s draft. The Falcons would also give up their 2025 first and third-round picks in the transaction.

The Bears, with its two first-round selections (no. 8 and no. 9) would draft speedy, deep threat wide receiver Rome Odunze from Washington and talented defensive end Laiatu Latu from UCLA.

The Patriots and Falcons, by the way, would select quarterback Caleb Williams and quarterback Jayden Daniels, respectively, with the first round picks obtained from Chicago.

If you’re keeping track, this deal that would bring the Bears ten total draft picks will include four no. 1 picks and one no. 2 for their no. 1 this year. It would be an unprecedented prodigious haul of draft talent in exchange for one draft pick and it would beef up the roster with added elite-level talent over the next two seasons.

Keep Justin Fields

All of this is assuming that the Bears will be holding on to Justin Fields, of course, willing to invest in his ability to lead the team and willing to build a winner around him. That’s a big assumption right now, especially considering the recent mass firing of offensive coaches.

Former Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has recently stated his belief that Chicago should do just that.

“What I think they should do is trade down, get some more guys on that team to help out Justin, and see what happens,” Cutler stated on the CW’s Inside the NFL last week. “Because let’s plug in Caleb Williams on that team. What happens?”

“I think if you blow it up and you start all over again with the No. 1 pick,” Cutler added, “you might be sitting in a worse position than you’re in right now.”

Massive Draft Deals Becoming The Norm In Chicago

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has shown draft trade boldness before and has proven himself not at all shy when it comes to pulling the trigger on big deals. As a matter of fact, this current embarrassment of riches dilemma is a direct result of last year’s pre-draft trade of their overall no. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers. In that deal last March, the Bears traded away their no. 1 draft pick to the Panthers in exchange for Carolina wide receiver DJ Moore, the Panthers’ no. 9 pick, the Panthers’ No. 61 pick, plus a 2024 first-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick.

So far, that transaction has not only brought them impact player, Moore, but also rookie talent, offensive tackle Darnell Wright and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, with more dividends on their way this year.

And if the Bears play their cards right before this upcoming draft, those dividends will be multiplying ten-fold.