Week 10 saw the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers play a necessary game that Bears fans wish didn't have to happen. But, in the end, it worked out just fine.
The Bears got the win, but Carolina moved up to the no. 1 draft slot, which of course goes to Chicago in April. Now, the Bears could have the no. 1 pick for the second-straight year.
With all of the talk about whether or not the Bears will move on from Justin Fields, let's look at what might happen if Chicago kept him on board, hired an offensive-minded head coach with a plan for his success, and then, built the other areas around this roster that need even more help. Keep in mind, the Bears don't have any picks beyond the fifth round in 2024, so we're going to stick with a simple, five-round mock.
The Chicago Bears keep Justin Fields while building the trenches in this 2024 NFL Mock Draft
After executing the blockbuster trade with Atlanta, the Bears move down four spots and take arguably the best pass rusher in the draft at no. 5, Alabama's Dallas Turner.
Chicago made the huge trade to land Montez Sweat, who has already paid dividends for the Bears after a dominant performance against Carolina last Thursday night. The future of this position no longer looks bleak, but the Bears have to continue adding talent.
With Turner and Sweat, now, Chicago should be able to generate far more of a consistent pass rush. Turner is 6-foot-4 with a slimmer build, and could afford to add a little weight. But, his athletic profile makes it so that he can get around opposing linemen in a hurry. He's a quick-twitch type of player who has tremendous hands which allow him to get around even the more powerful linemen.
Turner has looked great this year without the shadow of Will Anderson Jr., but giving him a running mate like Sweat could help his development even further, as Sweat will absorb a lot of the attention. The Bears' defensive line looks much, much better after the addition of Turner.