Early 2024 NFL mock draft gives Bears a franchise changing haul in first round
It's too early to know where the Chicago Bears will pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — there's still a lot of season left to be played — but CBS Sports thinks they'll have the top two picks next spring (thanks to having the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick). And with those two picks, CBS Sports, […]
It's too early to know where the Chicago Bears will pick in the 2024 NFL Draft — there's still a lot of season left to be played — but CBS Sports thinks they'll have the top two picks next spring (thanks to having the Carolina Panthers' first-round pick).
And with those two picks, CBS Sports, via their early 2024 NFL mock draft, has the Bears making two franchise-changing picks.
The national sports media outlet has Chicago taking USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. With the No. 2 pick, they have the Bears taking Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.
From CBS Sports: "I'm hanging up the phone every time someone calls me because the obvious pick is Caleb Williams. I know Justin Fields has played well over the last two weeks … but if I'm sitting in the GM chair with the Chicago Bears, I think that Caleb Williams, after I check all the boxes, is a generational-type quarterback, so you can't pass him up. And then I will be able to trade Justin Fields for, I would believe, at least a second-round pick and maybe more if he continues to play the way he's playing through the rest of the season."
These selections would obviously mean that Chicago would be moving on from quarterback Justin Fields — likely via a trade (though it's unclear what the Bears might receive in return).
Williams and Harrison are the types of players that could help Chicago enjoy a turnaround like the Cincinnati Bengals have experienced thanks to Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase.
The big question with these two picks, however, would be if Chicago would want the Matt Eberflus/Luke Getsy combination coaching them. I tend to think that Chicago might want a fresh start. Maybe they would try to convince Lincoln Riley to leave USC to come with Williams to Chicago. Or maybe they try to get Ryan Day to leave Ohio State to come with Harrison.
There are obviously other options that would work as well (and I'm not sure going the college route would be wise anyway — it rarely seems to work out). Going after someone like Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith, who was the Bears' tight ends coach from 2015 to 2017, might be a path worth looking into if this scenario comes to fruition.
Either way, despite the Bears' rough start in a season where the team was expected to take a step forward, there's still reason to be optimistic about the future — even if it might mean that another overhaul is needed.
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