There are a lot of crazy scenarios that can happen during the NFL Draft, but one proposed scenario might be so bad that, even if it helps the Chicago Bears, it could be bad for the long haul.
ESPN senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell looked at all 32 first-round picks to see what trades would make sense for each of them. Barnwell suggested that the Bears and the Minnesota Vikings could strike a deal.
Vikings get: Round 1 - Pick 25, Round 2 - Pick 60
Bears get: Round 1 - Pick 18, Round 5 - Pick 163
"It remains to be seen whether executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski would be as amenable to this sort of trade, but I do have the Bears paying a bit of a premium for the privilege of making a deal within the NFC North. Ryan Poles has already addressed some of his team's weaknesses this offseason, but the Bears should still hope to add something meaningful on the edge. Montez Sweat is a very solid starter on one side of the line, but Dayo Odeyingbo is coming off a torn Achilles and didn't look good in his debut season as a Bears player before the injury. Odeyingbo has no guaranteed money due in 2027, so this trade would be for a rookie who can rotate with him in 2026 before taking over as the starter next year. The Bears have an extra second-round pick after trading DJ Moore to the Bills, which would make this deal easier to stomach in Chicago."
Should the Bears actually consider a deal with the Vikings?
If anything, the Bears would at least guarantee themselves a really good option either at edge rusher or safety by moving up in the top 20. There is familiarity with the Vikings, and it wouldn't be the first time Minnesota has made a deal with the NFC North.
On the flip side, this deal helps the Vikings pick up a Day 2 pick when they need to reload their roster at a lower cost. This might actually help the Vikings out more than benefit the Bears, just to move up seven spots for an edge rusher or safety they can easily get at 25.
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It's not the worst deal in the world, and the Bears could consider making the move, but helping a division opponent out like that doesn't seem to be the right idea for draft night.