NFL execs predict what Justin Fields' trade value could be

It's not every year that you have a current NFL player dominating talks at the Combine, but that's exactly what happened this last week with Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.

While all of this year's top college prospects were doing their interviews and workouts, one of the biggest storylines continued to be what the Bears will end up doing with Fields and that no. 1 pick.

And, after hearing all of the experts and insiders speak over this past week, the consensus seems to be pretty clear: Fields will be traded and Caleb Williams will be a Bear.

But, the question still remains: what will the Bears get for Fields in a trade and where will he wind up?

The Bears won't get as much as some fans might think in a Justin Fields trade

The Athletic's Jeff Howe recently put his thoughts together on a possible Fields trade return after the Combine provided him with fresh insight.

"The majority opinion is the Bears would corral a second- or third-round pick, but there was some variation in those responses. One executive said he’d be worth a second-rounder or its equivalent value in a package of a third- and fifth-round pick," Howe wrote.

"Two other executives thought the return would be a second- or third-rounder, depending where the selection is in the round. Another believed it could be a 2025 third-round pick that could become a second-rounder based on certain statistical benchmarks."

Howe also explained that the lowest return he heard from a coach would be a third-round pick. Another executive said he believed Fields could net a second rounder, but that it would be too rich for his own team to make that move.

For fans holding onto hope that Mel Kiper's opinion would hold up a couple of months later, that ship seems to have sailed. No, the Atlanta Falcons are not trading their no. 8 pick for Fields.

Instead, the Bears will have to settle for a second or third rounder, which also seems to have been the feeling for several weeks now. It's only been confirmed, now, by executives around the league.