The No. 1 overall pick does not get traded very often in the NFL Draft, but there is very good reason to think the Chicago Bears might go that route this April. There is also one very obvious team they should be targeting for a mutual benefit in a potential trade.
That team is the Indianapolis Colts, who own the No. 4 overall pick.
There is so much speculation surrounding the Bears trading the pick this year because the projected No. 1 overall pick, Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, plays a position the Bears do not actually need. That is a rare spot for a team picking first overall to be in, but second-year starter Justin Fields showed so much improvement and promise during the 2022 season that there is little reason for the Bears to search for his immediate replacement.
They need to utilize this opportunity to set up the rest of their roster, and the best way to do that is to cash in the top pick for as many other draft picks as they can.
So why should they target the Colts?
Let’s start with the idea that the Colts are one of the teams at the top of the draft that is desperate for a quarterback. Ever since Andrew Luck’s sudden retirement, the team has been going through a revolving door of one-year stop gaps that have included Jacoby Brissett, Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz, and Matt Ryan. The team has a ton of holes, but none of them are bigger than the quarterback.
By moving up to the No. 1 spot the Colts would not only get their pick of the quarterback class (Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis), but they would also do serious damage to an AFC South opponent (Houston at No. 2 overall) who will almost certainly be looking for its next franchise quarterback.
They also have a hands-on owner in Jim Irsay who not only loves big, bold moves and the spotlight but also knows the value of finding a franchise quarterback at the top of the draft. The Colts’ selections of Peyton Manning and Luck at No. 1 overall in 1998 and 2012 set the team up for sustained success. There is no way that is lost on Irsay, and you might get him to pay a premium for that spot.
From the Bears’ perspective, moving back gets them what they need: More draft picks. You do not go 3-14 and finish the year on a 1-12 run without needing help at almost every position. The Bears need as many picks (good picks) as they can get. Going from No. 1 to No. 4 would not only add picks to their 2023 class, but it could probably land them another first-round pick in 2024.
They would also still be in a prime position to pick an elite defensive player this year. It would be a good bet that quarterbacks would go 1-2 in this scenario (Indianapolis and Houston), which means at least one of Will Anderson or Jalen Carter would still be there at No. 4. It is a win-win.
There is no guarantee the Bears trade that pick (or that the Colts would be willing to pay the price to get it) but if Chicago general manager Ryan Poles wants to go in that direction, the Colts should be his first phone call.
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