History shows what Chicago Bears could get for No. 1 pick
By Peter Jurich
Trades into the top three for quarterbacks that the Chicago Bears could replicate
In a quarterback-heavy draft class, the 49ers traded up to select Trey Lance from North Dakota State, and while he hasn’t had the opportunity to prove himself through a full season, its already looking like the Dolphins won this trade based on who all they were able to get back.
The Dolphins took the 12th overall pick and traded back up to number 6, where they drafted Jaylen Waddle from Alabama. They ended up using the other two first-round picks to trade for Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb, so despite not holding onto the picks they got from San Francisco, they clearly flushed out their roster with the package they got by moving back which only ended up being three spots.
In another quarterback-heavy draft class, the Jets moved up three spots to select Sam Darnold from USC, and while that didn’t go as well as New York had wanted it to, the Colts methodically built their roster with the picks they received.
At number 6, the Colts selected Quenton Nelson and used the rest of the picks to acquire offensive tackle Braedon Smith, defensive end Kemoko Turay, and cornerback Rock Ya-Sin. The Colts are a perfect example of the fact that trading back only matters if you draft well with the picks you received, as they selected two high-quality starters in Nelson and Smith, while their other two picks haven’t lived up to their second-round billing thus far.
Chicago Bears fans should remember moving up one spot in the 2017 NFL Draft for quarterback Mitch Trubisky, and while it didn’t work out for the Bears in the long term, the 49ers really didn’t get a crazy return when looking back at who they selected.
With the third pick, San Francisco drafted Soloman Thomas, who failed to live up to expectations with the 49ers, and while they traded both 2017 picks, the third-rounder in 2018 ended up being Fred Warner, one of the best interior linebackers in the NFL today.
Warner is the only player from this draft that is still a starter, and a high-quality one at that, but shows that moving back only one spot might not net Chicago a crazy package in 2023.