Chicago Bears: 5 second round trades to stack draft capital
By Ryan Heckman
Three and a half weeks is all we have to wait, now. The Chicago Bears have been one of the most dominant teams during the offseason, and the 2023 NFL Draft awaits them.
Ryan Poles has heard praises being sung over the past few weeks after the work he’s done to improve the roster in such a significant manner, but the work is not done, just as he acknowledged at the owner’s meetings recently.
Last year, we saw Poles enter the draft with far less picks than he came away with. Trading is not something he’s backed down from. In fact, he relishes the opportunity to take more swings, as evidenced by the amount of moves he made on Day 3 a year ago.
But, what if he continued to make those types of moves, yet did so a little earlier in the draft this year? The Bears have two second-round picks, which could prove to be very valuable in acquiring additional capital. What type of trade could Poles pull off with one of those picks? Let’s examine a few possibilities.
The Chicago Bears could trade back in the second round, resulting in even more draft ammunition for Ryan Poles
Trade Number 1
In this first scenario, the Bears do a little business with the defending Super Bowl champions.
First off, let’s establish the fact that this is the type of move Super Bowl teams make. The Chiefs have a championship roster. They’re at the pinnacle. Why not make a bold move to go up and get a guy they really like?
What if a move like this means the Chiefs go up to draft Josh Downs, Rashee Rice or another playmaker for that offense? Just imagine the possibilities for Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid with yet another young weapon on that unit.
The Bears walk away moving down 10 spots, here, but also net a fourth and fifth-round pick in this year’s draft. That’s a heck of a haul while also being able to select another quality player just a few picks later.
Players to target at no. 63: Syracuse offensive tackle Matthew Bergeron, Bowling Green edge rusher Karl Brooks, Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks, TCU cornerback Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, Wisconsin edge rusher Nick Herbig, Minnesota guard/center John Michael Schmitz