We’re halfway through the NFL season, and it’s looking more and more like the Bears will have a real shot to secure one of the top two picks in the 2024 NFL draft thanks to the Carolina Panthers. The Bears own the Panthers’ first-round pick this year thanks to the deal that sent the No. 1 pick to Carolina in March. If the season ended today, that would be the No. 1 overall pick, again. The Bears entered this season with a stated goal of fully evaluating Justin Fields. The team needs to know by year’s end whether or not he’s the franchise QB moving forward. Head coach Matt Eberflus says the remaining seven games will be sufficient for Fields to display the requisite consistency to keep his job in Chicago. If he does, the Bears could trade away the No. 1 pick again to a QB-needy team, or they could stay put and draft a high-impact player like Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. If he doesn’t, GM Ryan Poles could hand pick his next quarterback. It’s also worth mentioning, this mock draft is not an attempt to predict what the Bears will actually do when they’re back in the War Room next offseason. That’s impossible. This mock draft is meant as an educational tool to explore some of the intriguing college prospects this season, and how those players may fit in Chicago.
UCLA
North Carolina