After losing on Sunday against the New York Jets, an amazing string of events suddenly saw the Chicago Bears end up in control of the #2 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Carolina all won their games. All had three wins before that, the same number as the Bears. They’ve lost Darnell Mooney for the year. Their defense is the worst in football. If that weren’t bad enough, their remaining schedule features three playoff teams and two teams that have beaten them once already. The likelihood is that they will maintain control of that pick when the dust settles in January.
If that holds true, then it creates a fascinating scenario. People might be surprised at Chicago’s somewhat tumultuous history with the 2nd overall selection. For one, the team has held and utilized it a total of three times in its long history dating back to 1939.
All three picks were spent on a quarterback.
The first resulted in Sid Luckman, the Hall of Fame star of the 1940s dynasty teams. Next came picking Bobby Williams in 1951. This particularly hurts for two reasons. Hall of Fame quarterback Y.A. Tittle went a pick later at #3 for starters. If that weren’t enough, the Bears traded a young man named Bobby Layne, another future Hall of Famer, to New York for the 10th overall pick. Then it took another 66 years for them to complete the trifecta, taking Mitch Trubisky in the 2017 draft.
It gets better, though. There was one other instance where the Bears held the #2 pick. It was in 1970 when they finished the previous year tied with Pittsburgh for the worst record in the NFL. The two teams held a coin flip. Chicago lost. The Steelers went on to draft Terry Bradshaw. The Bears traded the pick to Green Bay for linebacker Lee Roy Caffey, running back Elijah Pitts, and center Bob Hyland. This means that 2023 could be the first year the Bears hold #2 overall without needing a quarterback.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The Chicago Bears couldn’t ask for a better spot.
If the Houston Texans end up picking #1 overall, as most expect, the widespread belief is they will select their preferred top quarterback. Either Bryce Young of Alabama or C.J. Stroud of Ohio State. That means the Bears would control the rights to the other QB. Most scouting reports indicate a vast gulf between the top two QBs in this class and everybody else. That means teams might be willing to pay through the nose to move up to take whoever the Texans don’t. GM Ryan Poles could end up with a bounty of extra picks, including future 1st rounders.
On the other hand, if that doesn’t happen, it’s no big deal. The Chicago Bears would have their choice of the best non-quarterback prospects on their entire board. Maybe they want star Alabama pass rusher Will Anderson, disruptive Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, or possible franchise offensive tackle Peter Skoronski. There is no shortage of options that would instantly help this football team. It comes down to how the remaining six weeks go. Chicago still has an outside shot at the #1 pick, but it feels like their likely landing spot is somewhere between #2 and #5.
Considering their schedule and mounting injuries, intelligent people should better the higher numbers.
