Mock draft roundup 5.0: Trade down, or stand pat? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Improbably, the Bears earned the No. 1 pick by way of the Houston Texans defeating the Indianapolis Colts during Week 18’s contests.
As a result, Ryan Poles & Co. will have a smorgasbord of ways they can expend their pick.
Should they stand pat, they will have the likes of Jalen Carter, Will Anderson Jr., etc. to choose from. Or, if they decide to trade the pick, they will have plenty of suitors ready in line, eagerly awaiting a decision on the fate of who will choose first in the draft.
MORE: Teams the Bears could entertain with No. 1 pick
While Bears and NFL fans await Apr. 27 for the real answer, we’ve collected the guesses of outsiders and pundits who put on the general manager cap for a try.
Here is who/what national mock drafts have the Bears selecting/trading for with the No.1 pick:
Bears select: Will Anderson Jr. (Edge, Alabama) with the No. 1 pick
“With suitors potentially clamoring to trade up and select one of the quarterback prospects, the Bears should still stand pat and land a defensive game-wrecker of the highest order.”
Bears select: Jalen Carter (DT, Georgia) with the No. 1 pick
“There’s a lot of work to do on the other side of the ball after moving on from Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith. Both Jalen Carter and Will Anderson Jr. could be options here, and both are layup selections. Or the team could choose to trade out of the No. 1 pick should there be interest from QB-needy teams looking to move up.”
Bears select: Jalen Carter (DT, Georgia) with No. 4 pick in mock trade with Colts
“The Colts make too much sense to be the team willing to offer a sweetheart deal to the Bears because a) it would still allow the Bears to be in striking distance for one of the two blue-chip defensive line prospects in the class, and b) the Colts are desperate for a franchise quarterback after years of one-season rentals at the position.”
Bears select: Will Anderson Jr. (Edge, Alabama) with the No. 1 pick
“If Chicago stands pat, however, Anderson is more than deserving of the No. 1 slot. The Crimson Tide’s first two-time unanimous All-American would have had a compelling case to be the top selection in 2022 had he been eligible, and he’s drawn comparisons to Von Miller for his explosive pass-rush prowess.”
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The Bears find themselves in a promising position entering the 2023 offseason.
Not only do they possess the golden ticket of the NFL draft, but they also have the most cap space in the league by a large margin and a positive trending quarterback on a rookie contract.
Poles & Co. will have to be cautious with their No. 1 pick.
Do they play it safe and draft an instant game-changer with the first pick, like 75 percent of these mocks predict? Or, will they take a swing at finding more draft capital to stash in the bank, potentially leaving behind a turnkey player at the top of the draft?
The PFF mock predicts the Bears could achieve both. By trading with the Colts, PFF believes they can trade their pick down while obtaining one of the players on their wish list.
How far down could/will the Bears go, should they decide to trade their pick?
Only Apr. 27 will give us the answer.
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