The Chicago Bears finished the 2022 season with the worst record in football. Personally, I felt like the team was at least a six-win team despite only being victorious in three. The Bears found themselves 1-7 in one-score games. Any of those could have flipped the other way. That said, the losing continued into the 2023 season. At least until last week. It was nearly a year since this franchise finished with a W. Now, the team is looking for more. With each win, the Chicago Bears find themselves falling further down the 2024 NFL Draft board, but they also hold the Panthers' pick.
Each week, we will update the 2024 NFL Draft board to determine which picks in the first round the Bears own. Remember, the Bears own the Panthers' first-round pick in 2024 after trading the top pick in 2023. Feel free to fan any way you want, but personally, I am all for this team continuing to win games. I was hoping the Panthers would go winless, but unfortunately, they squeaked out a win over the Texans last week. That win changed things drastically for the Chicago Bears.
Tracking the Chicago Bears 1st-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft
The Panthers are now 1-6 on the season. The Chicago Bears won easily in Week 7 and now sit at 2-6. Justin Fields is still out with his thumb injury, but he was able to practice on a limited basis this week. Tyson Bagent is 1-1 on the year after beating the Raiders and then being manhandled by the Chargers. With Fields highly unlikely to play, the Chicago Bears will need to be creative to find a way to beat the Saints.
2024 NFL Draft Order (First-Round, Top 10)
1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Carolina Panthers (Bears Pick)
3. Chicago Bears
4. New York Giants
5. New England Patriots
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Indianapolis Colts
8. Las Vegas Raiders
9. Denver Broncos
10. Washington Commanders
Looking at the current order, the Chicago Bears should see the Arizona Cardinals as the biggest threat to take the top spot in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Cardinals just traded Joshua Dobbs, their starting quarterback all season, to the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings lost Kirk Cousins for the year with an Achilles injury. The only positive is Kyler Murray is coming back very soon. Maybe his presence could spark another win or two for the Cardinals.
The addition of Montez Sweat could be a way for the Chicago Bears to win a couple of more games. That could move them lower in the draft order. What is scary though is the Packers are sitting at sixth overall. Jordan Love is clearly not the answer. Luckily, the Packers are getting the Los Angeles Rams likely without Matthew Stafford. That could help secure them a win and keep them out of those top three picks. Could you imagine Drake Maye or Caleb Williams landing in the Packers' lap? Yuck. I am still hopeful the Chicago Bears land Marvin Harrison, Jr. and a top left tackle (if not one of the top QBs).