How the Bears’ Past Trades Could Complicate This Year’s Draft
The NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Bears might be feeling the sting of some past decisions mainly trading away a few mid-round picks that could’ve really come in handy right now.
GM Ryan Poles made a couple of moves in previous years that seemed okay at the time, but now that it’s draft season, the lack of a fourth- and fifth-rounder is starting to look like a problem. When trades don’t pan out, you not only miss out on talent you also lose a chance to bring in a younger guy to develop.
The Bears still have some flexibility, though. If they want to trade up in the first round, they’ve got two second-rounders and a third that could get the job done. According to draft trade value charts, that could get them as high as pick No. 4 possibly for someone like Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who fans are hyped about.
The real issue is in the second round. Let’s say they want to move up from pick No. 39 to snag someone like Oregon tackle Josh Conerly Jr., who’s visiting Halas Hall. That’s where the missing fourth-rounder would’ve been useful. They traded it to Buffalo last year to grab DE Austin Booker in the fifth round. Booker hasn’t done much yet, and now they’re left with a gap between their third- and fifth-round picks.
It’s not just the fourth-rounder either. They also gave up a fifth-rounder for offensive lineman Ryan Bates in 2024. That move didn’t exactly set the world on fire, and it forced them to get creative to even pick Booker.
So yeah, past trades are making this year’s draft board trickier to navigate. One way out? Trade back from pick No. 10 in the first round and try to collect more picks to regain some of that lost flexibility.
Poles even hinted at that strategy recently, saying they’re open to moving back if the right deal pops up. If they play it right, the Bears could still come out ahead just gotta be smart with those chips.
