6 reasons why the Chicago Bears made the right decision to trade Justin Fields
By Dakota Wayne
Reason No. 4: Chicago Bears have the back-to-back first overall pick in NFL Draft
Aside from the 2021-22 Jaguars and the 2017-18 Cleveland Browns, the NFL hasn't had too many instances of the same team drafting first in back-to-back drafts. The Chicago Bears take a seat in NFL history, again, as one of the only franchises to hold back-to-back No. 1 picks.
NFL franchises with back-to-back No. 1 picks
- 2021-22 Jacksonville Jaguars (Trevor Lawrence and Travon Walker)
- 2017-18 Cleveland Browns (Myles Garrett and Baker Mayfield)
- 1999-2000 Cleveland Browns (Tim Couch and Courtney Brown)
- 1994-95 Cincinnati Bengals (Dan Wilkinson and Ki-Jana Carter)
- 1976-77 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Lee Roy Selmon and Ricky Bell)
- 1939-40 Chicago Cardinals (Ki Aldrich and George Cagefo)
- 1936-37 Philadelphia Eagles (Jay Berwanger and Sam Francis)
The Chicago Bears will become the eighth team in NFL history to have back-to-back No. 1 picks, and while it was smart to hold off on drafting a quarterback with last year's No. 1 pick, this is the year to get the quarterback position.
Not only were they not the team that should bring in a quarterback last year, but Justin Fields still had a chance to prove his abilities. Ryan Poles likely knew he would prefer either Justin Fields or one of the 2024 QB prospects as his long-term decision, and this year, he shows that off with the No. 1 pick.