Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: 5 scenarios trading out of the first

Most of the fan base has been hoping that the Chicago Bears move up to get a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft.

But, that’s just not looking as promising as it once did. Not that it was ever extremely likely, with the Bears having to move all the way up from pick no. 20 overall, but general manager Ryan Pace really has his work cut out for him now.

The San Francisco 49ers made an aggressive move to trade up for the third overall selection, previously held by the Miami Dolphins. Most reports have the 49ers grabbing a quarterback with that pick, but the question remains whether it will be Mac Jones, Trey Lance or Justin Fields.

Regardless, that would be three quarterbacks in the first three picks, and the Bears would be hard-pressed to find a way to move up and snag one of the other two.

Will Ryan Pace move the Bears out of the first round in order to collect more picks?

It’s a fair question to ask, because the Bears have a few other key needs besides quarterback. Wide receiver and cornerback are still a spot where they could look to add talent. But, they also need a firm starter at strong safety and at offensive tackle.

There is even an underrated gap left by former nickel corner Buster Skrine, who manned the slot for Chicago’s defense over the past couple of seasons.

Again, Pace has his work cut out for him. Without a fourth-round pick, he and the Bears very well could move out of the first round altogether in order to accumulate additional picks in the second, third or fourth rounds.

Which teams would be the best trade partners for Pace, though? There are actually several instances where the Bears could take advantage, starting with the team that will end up with the draft’s best prospect overall.