NFL teams in a rebuild love the idea of trading down in the first round of the NFL Draft for extra picks. The Chicago Bears have already done it in 2023. They traded the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers for an extra second-rounder this year and a first-round pick in 2024. That’s a job well done by GM Ryan Poles.
Many think Poles isn’t done trading. There’s an assumption that his preference is to trade down again. Rumors of a possible deal percolating with the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 17 overall) have already begun. But I’m not sure I’m buying them.
Why? Because the 2023 NFL Draft isn’t that deep. At least it isn’t deep with first-round talent. The Chicago Bears are in a good position with the ninth pick; they’ll add one of the few legitimate first-round players from this class. If they slide down to No. 17 (or later), that won’t happen.
“The 2023 NFL Draft is headlined by four quarterbacks who are all expected to come off the board in Round 1,” NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero wrote. “The list of blue-chip prospects at some other positions isn’t as long.
“Most teams have fewer than 20 prospects with first-round grades in this class.”
