Ryan Poles confident Bears will get 2024 and 2025 first-round picks in NFL Draft trade

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is the most popular man in the NFL right now. He’s in possession of the No. 1 overall pick while managing a roster that doesn’t need a quarterback. As a result, the Bears are expected to trade the selection to the quarterback-needy team willing to pay the highest price.

According to Poles, who spoke with NBC Sports’ Peter King at the NFL Combine, that price will likely include a first-round pick in 2024 and 2025 (not to mention a first-rounder they’ll get back in 2023).

“He said he had enough conversations about a deal to know in swapping first-round picks this year he can get “a ’24 one and a ’25 one” in a major package for a trade,” King wrote. “However far down he goes in the draft this year, Poles wants to be sure he gets a “blue player,” his term for a premier first-rounder—and there may be only six or eight of those when the Bears end up setting their board.”

Bears can land elite player and future picks if right NFL Draft trade is made

The odds the Chicago Bears will land one of those “blue players” goes way down the further back they trade. The Indianapolis Colts — who own the No. 4 pick — make the most sense to accomplish that goal. With quarterbacks expected to be the first two picks, the Bears would be guaranteed either Will Anderson Jr. (Alabama) or Jalen Carter (Georgia) by moving down to the fourth selection.

If the Bears decide to trade back with the Atlanta Falcons (No. 8) or Carolina Panthers (No. 9), they’ll have their choice of the top offensive lineman in the 2023 NFL Draft. If they swap picks with the Tennessee Titans (No. 11), they’d likely target the top wide receiver — perhaps Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

It won’t be long before the Chicago Bears trade the No. 1 pick. Now that the dust has settled on the 2023 NFL Combine and big boards are crystallizing, teams will get aggressive to move up. Expect a trade before the free agency negotiation window opens on March 13.

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