Bears land No. 1 overall pick in 2023 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
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The Bears technically lost their final game of the season when they fell to the Vikings 29-13, but in the long run, they won the day. Since the Bears lost and the Texans beat the Colts 32-31, the Bears now have the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s draft.
It’s unlikely the Bears use the No. 1 overall pick since they have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields. Instead, Ryan Poles could trade that pick for a king’s ransom to a team that covets Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud. It would be possible to do that and stay within the top-five, too. Since the Texans no longer have the top choice, they could trade up one spot to ensure they get their guy at QB. The Colts will have a top-five pick and need a quarterback after the Matt Ryan experiment failed. The Seahawks could end up with a top-five pick if the Broncos fall to the Chargers on Sunday afternoon, and they could be in on a QB too, depending on how they feel about Geno Smith moving forward.
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The last time a team traded the No. 1 overall pick in the draft was 2016 when the Rams traded places with the Titans to select Jared Goff. The Rams had the No. 15 overall pick that season and sent that pick, plus two 2016 second-round picks, a 2016 third-round pick, a 2017 first-round pick and a 2017 third-round pick to Tennessee to move up to No. 1. In addition to the No. 1 overall pick, the Titans also sent the Rams a 2016 fourth-round pick and a 2016 sixth-round pick.
The Bears haven’t had many No. 1 overall picks in franchise history, and they haven’t had one for a long time either. The last time the Bears picked at the top of the draft was in 1947 when they selected halfback Bob Fenimore. That pick didn’t quite pan out, as Fenimore only played in 10 games. He accumulated 408 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns. The only other No. 1 overall pick in Bears history was Tom Harmon in 1941, and that one didn’t work out either. Harmon opted not to play football, and went to Hollywood instead. He starred in a few movies like “Harmon of Michigan,” “Triple Threat,” and “Bonzo Goes to College,” but eventually returned to football and played for the Rams in 1946 and 1947.
