If you didn’t make it past the headline of this post, I don’t blame you. Any 2023 mock draft with the Chicago Bears trading Justin Fields and selecting a quarterback at No. 1 overall is, in my opinion, trash.
But there is a mock draft that has this scenario playing out, so we might as well try to understand the logic behind it.
According to the 33rd team, the Bears’ best strategy would be to trade Fields to the Carolina Panthers for the ninth pick (there’s no indication whether Chicago gets a future first-rounder in the deal. We’ll assume they do). General manager Ryan Poles then uses the first overall pick on Alabama quarterback Bryce Young.
“The Chicago Bears pull off a shocking trade sending Justin Fields to the Carolina Panthers for the ninth pick of the draft, and here they pick Young,” wrote the 33rd Team’s scouting crew. “The Bears feel like Young is just too talented to pass up and hand the keys to the franchise to the rookie.”
