Chicago Bears have an obvious team to call if the front office wants to trade back from the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears will have multiple avenues to consider with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and an obvious team stands out if the Bears wish to trade back on opening night.
The Chicago Bears have multiple options to consider with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft when it comes to which position to target but also multiple avenues to consider when managing assets.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, for example, has pegged the Bears as a potential trade up team to ensure they land a top pass rusher in the class. I’m against that idea and actually view the Bears as a trade back team to watch in the first-round depending on how the board looks.
With this draft specifically, the Bears could have similar grades on multiple prospects in the late first / early second to the point trading back and collecting more selections would be a wise move if the staff isn’t sold on one particular player.
If the Bears decide to trade back in the first-round, there couldn’t be a more obvious partner to call.
Arizona Cardinals are showing their hand when it comes to interest in Alabama QB Ty Simpson
If a team moves up into the mid-late first-round, it would have to be to secure a quarterback with Alabama’s Ty Simpson being the one worth moving up for. And the team to watch is the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals, in fact, are meeting with Simpson on Wednesday which happens to be the last day allowed for Top-30 visits. To add more fuel to the fire, three top draft experts (Dane Brugler, Mel Kiper, and Todd McShay) all linked Simpson to Arizona in their recent mock drafts with Kiper and McShay having the Cardinals trade back into the first-round.
What would a Bears-Cardinals trade back look like for Chicago?
If the Bears indeed decide to move back, general manager Ryan Poles should get back on the phone with general manager Monti Ossenfort to see what kind of haul the Bears could receive for pick No. 25. For context, a similar trade happened last year when the Houston Texans traded the 25th overall pick to the New York Giants in exchange for the 34th overall pick, the 99th overall pick, and a 2026 third-round pick.
McShay’s mock trade had the Cardinals sending picks 34, 143, and 183 to the Miami Dolphins for pick 30. So, moving up five spots higher to pick 25 would be a tad more expensive. Here’s what I would ask for if I were Ryan Poles.
- Cardinals receive: 25th overall pick (Ty Simpson)
- Bears receive: 34th overall pick, 104th overall pick, 183rd overall pick, 2027 sixth
The Cardinals accepted that offer in the new A to Z Sports Mock Draft Simulator. Here’s what I was able to turn that haul into.
It all depends on who’s on the board when the Bears are on the clock. If Chicago has similar grades on multiple players, the Bears should really consider calling up Arizona because that looks like a really attractive haul.
