With the Chicago Bears officially on the clock for the 2023 NFL Draft, there is already a lot of belief between fans and analysts alike that the team will end up trading back to net more draft capital. With the Houston Texans picking second and a quarterback-needy team in their own right, teams looking to draft a quarterback will likely have to move all the way up to the number one spot in order to get their franchise guy.
If the Chicago Bears trade back, they likely won’t get a receiver in the deal
If the Bears do end up trading back down in the draft, it is likely they will get picks, but there is a chance that a high-end player may be involved in the deal. However, we all need to hit the brakes on the thought that the Chicago Bears could land a big-time receiver in a draft-day trade.
There are three teams, the Las Vegas Raiders, the Carolina Panthers, and the Indianapolis Colts, who would probably like to trade up to the first overall pick to get a quarterback ahead of the Texans. Still, it is unlikely that Davante Adams, D.J. Moore, or Michael Pittman, Jr are a part of these hypothetical deals.
For these three teams, it makes little to no sense to stake the franchise’s future on a young quarterback by giving up both draft capital and the team’s best receiver. None of these teams are necessarily great spots for a quarterback to come in and immediately start as is, whether due to poor offensive line play, a lack of explosive skill position players, or coaching concerns, and it makes the situation significantly worse for any of these teams to trade their franchise receivers in order to acquire a quarterback.
That’s not to say that the Bears won’t trade with these teams, as there are players on all of these teams’ defenses that are likely much more available and would immediately improve Chicago’s defense. But to expect a big-time receiver from these teams would be fool-hearty.
If the Bears were to trade for another receiver this offseason, a name like DeAndre Hopkins or Tee Higgins makes much more sense. A receiver on a team that has a quarterback, but has too many high-end receivers to pay them all is a much better trade target, as the Bears do not have any concerns as to whether or not they can pay players long-term.
Realistic draft trade starting points for the Chicago Bears first-overall pick
The Chicago Bears are in the driver's seat regarding the 2023 NFL Draft. We look at where teams can start trade negotiations.
In general, I would not get your hopes up about acquiring a big-time receiver in the draft via trade. The Chicago Bears will have plenty of options in free agency, other trades, and the draft to improve their receiving core.