Chicago Bears first-round mock draft post-Justin Fields trade with Steelers

With the Chicago Bears potentially drafting a quarterback with their No. 1 pick, the Justin Fields era could be over in Chicago.

There's a belief that Justin Fields could be traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers for their first-round pick, which sits at pick No. 20. Personally, I don't believe that at all, but if there's a team who saw the best version of Justin Fields, it was the Steelers in 2021.

The Chicago Bears could be trading Justin Fields to Steelers

In Week 9 on Monday Night Football, Justin Fields had one of the best games of his entire career thus far. Mike Tomlin had a front-row seat to the Justin Fields masterclass, and with uninspiring play at the quarterback position in Pittsburgh, Justin Fields could be who they target.

It's been quite a while since that Monday night game, but Mike Tomlin could've seen something he can't unsee that game. It's hard to believe that Justin Fields would garner a first-round pick, however, if the Steelers are willing to pay that price, the Chicago Bears better be willing to accept it.

If— and that's a gargantuan if— the Chicago Bears gain a third first-round pick for the 2024 NFL Draft, an already fun draft becomes even more fun. It also gives the Bears a pick in each tier of the draft, giving them more flexibility. That flexibility could be in the trades they could make with their picks, as well as the flexibility to fill as many holes with first-round talent. Reaching on players matters less, which would give the Chicago Bears a lot of power in this draft.

What they do with that power? That's the fun part.

Chicago Bears selection No. 1: Caleb Williams, QB, USC

This is an easy one. Caleb Williams has been slotted as the No. 1 pick for as long as he's been eligible. If the Chicago Bears use the No. 1 pick, it's going to be shocking if they don't select Caleb Williams.

There's potential of trading down and either keeping Justin Fields or drafting a different quarterback, but in this scenario, the Chicago Bears don't overthink it.

Caleb Williams has his flaws, but the skillset he brings with him is worth the baggage. Rarely will a quarterback enter the league and tear it up immediately. In fact, most don't. There might be a grace period with Caleb Williams in the NFL, but it's possible that the finished product is really darn good at playing quarterback.

There's also the idea that Caleb Williams doesn't want to play for the Chicago Bears, which is just flat-out false. If the Chicago Bears have the No. 1 pick and are certain on drafting a quarterback, the choice is Caleb Williams.

Chicago Bears selection No. 2: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

With the No. 9 pick, the Chicago Bears select Rome Odunze from Washington. In the mock simulator I was using, Marvin Harrison Jr. was selected No. 3 by the Patriots, and Malik Nabers was selected No. 6 by the Giants.

This left the third of the "big three" for the Chicago Bears at No. 9, and that's not a bad consolation prize at all. In many mocks, MHJ, Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are all usually taken by the ninth pick. With him being available here, the choice was easy.

Rome Odunze is more of the traditional wide receiver as far as his build. The big X receiver build is being phased out of the necessary qualities of a receiver, but being a big body doesn't hurt when you can do everything else really well, like Odunze can.

Odunze's elite quality, if forced to choose one, would be his ability to catch the ball. His ability to come down with most catches, contested or not, is a quality that can't be overlooked when watching Odunze.

He might not have the elite speed or playmaker ability, but if you throw a ball to Rome Odunze, there's a very high chance he's coming down with it. A player comp I've seen that I really like is Davante Adams. And, as the Chicago Bears know very well, Davante Adams is an elite pass-catcher.

Chicago Bears selection No. 3, from Steelers: Jackson Powers-Johnson, C, Oregon

At the Senior Bowl, Jackson Powers-Johnson gave the Chicago Bears every reason in the world to draft him.

Not only do the Bears have a massive need for center, Jackson Powers-Johnson is the clear-cut No. 1 center in the draft. Between physical dominance and a high football IQ, Ryan Poles should be salivating at the thought of drafting Powers-Johnson.

Everything an NFL coach could want from a center is bundled into a human named Jackson Powers-Johnson. For a team with a massive, massive, massive hole in the interior of their offensive line, the Bears should seriously consider finding a way to draft JPJ.

It's going to take a late first-round pick or an early second-round, and for the Chicago Bears' sake, they're hoping the second round. Or, if the Steelers trade the No. 20 pick for Justin Fields, this would be the perfect spot to get him.

Imagining the double-team blocks between Jackson Powers-Johnson and Teven Jenkins is making me laugh like a little boy at my desk right now. There's no guessing on whether JPJ loves football and playing the offensive line. It takes a specific breed of person to want to bash into other 300-pound people constantly, but it appears that's what Jackson Powers-Johnson does best.