Bears trade down and load up—proposed deal with Buffalo Bills nets Chicago high-end draft capital

The Chicago Bears have holes.

Coming off of a 5-12 season in which no position group blew anybody’s mind, the team could use a legit bell-cow running back, a lightning-quick WR3, some help on the defensive edges, and consistent protection for their over-sacked quarterback. And while we’re at it, some youth at the safety position and a scootch of linebacker depth sure wouldn’t hurt.

Luckily for GM Ryan Poles, Chicago can reload with their eight picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. But is eight enough?

Trade Winds in the Windy City

The Bears own a reasonably high first round choice—they’re currently sitting at the ten-spot—but barring any notable weirdness with the nine picks ahead of them, there won’t be any available options who will single-handedly earn Chicago five more wins. Like, say, Jalen Carter.

Since there’s no explosive quality, let’s talk quantity, the kind of quantity Poles could get out of a trade such as this:

Buffalo Bills receive:

• Chicago Bears 2025 first round pick (10)

• Chicago Bears 2025 fifth round pick (149)

Chicago Bears receive:

• Buffalo Bills 2025 first round pick (30)

• Buffalo Bills 2025 second round pick via MIN (56)

• Buffalo Bills 2025 fourth round pick via CHI (108)

Thirty Something?

If this or a similar deal comes to pass, yes, the Bears will miss out on the draft’s top offensive linemen, top skill players, and top, well, everybody. But the move would give them six of the first 72 picks—and if assistant GM Ian Cunningham lands the general manager gig in Jacksonville, you can add a late third-rounder onto the pile.

The good news is that there should be some day-one starters ripe for the pickin’ at the bottom of the first. NFL Mock Draft Database currently projects Michigan DL Kenneth Grant to land at 30, but they have Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton and Oregon OT Josh Conerly Jr. going just ahead of Grant, and if one of them falls into Chicago’s lap, the Bears win big.