The 2023 NFL season is more than one-third of the way over. As a result, tracking the 2024 NFL Draft order is now a worthwhile exercise.
It's especially true for the Chicago Bears, who lost their Week 6 game to the Minnesota Vikings. They're one of five teams with a 1-5 record, and based on strength of schedule, they're the worst of the bunch. As a result, they hold the No. 2 pick in the 2024 Draft.
The Carolina Panthers lost their Week 6 game to the Miami Dolphins and remain the only winless team in the NFL. The Bears hold the rights to the Panthers' first-round pick, which is currently the No. 1 overall selection.
If the 2024 NFL Draft were held today, the Bears would own the first two picks.
This year's draft will be exceptional for teams searching for a franchise quarterback. USC's Caleb Williams and UNC's Drake Maye (assuming they both enter the draft) are likely to be the first two players selected, and both will enter the NFL as blue-chip prospects.
The Bears are in the midst of a complicated Justin Fields evaluation. His on-field play has been a mixed bag in 2023, and now he's dealing with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand that will frustrate his evaluation over the next 11 games. There's a chance Chicago will be in the market for a quarterback at season's end, and if the 2024 NFL Draft order continues down its current path, the Bears will be big winners next April.
There's a lot of football to be played between now and then. Fields can cement his status as the present and future in Chicago. But the time is now for him to be that guy, and he may have to do it with a bum-throwing hand.