The NFL season is not quite over with Super Bowl LVIII still on the horizon, but that hasn't stopped folks from thinking about what 2024 may bring. One of the key milestones of the upcoming offseason will, of course, be the 2024 NFL Draft, where the Chicago Bears currently own the No. 1 overall pick. Last year, the franchise found itself in the same position and ended up trading out of the top spot to the Carolina Panthers for a slew of draft capital along with wideout D.J. Moore. Will history repeat itself? It doesn't seem likely.
The consensus down at the Senior Bowl is that the Bears will not trade the top pick this year and will make the selection, according to ESPN. The report adds that the presumptive pick is slated to be USC's Caleb Williams, who is widely considered to be one of the top quarterback prospects in recent memory.
Part of the calculus to trade the pick last year was due to the Bears still trying to decipher whether or not Justin Fields was the quarterback they wanted to build around. At that point, the franchise opted to keep Fields and collect capital while adding weapons around him. While Fields may still prove to be a capable quarterback in the league, the ceiling that Williams possesses appears to be too tantalizing to pass on.
If Chicago does opt to take Williams, it'll have ripple effects that span across the league. Of course, Fields' future would then be put into question as a likely trade candidate, and the decisions be the next couple of teams atop the draft board come under further speculation.
The Washington Commanders (No. 2) and the New England Patriots (No. 3) are next up and have the ability to control the draft. That said, both franchises do need quarterbacks, and there will be two available to them in UNC's Drake Maye and LSU's Jayden Daniels. If one of those franchises isn't sold on the quarterbacks beyond Williams, it'll be interesting to see if they'll be the team this year that trades down from a top selection. This report notes that the Las Vegas Raiders (No. 13) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 11) are two clubs to keep an eye on as possible trade-up candidates.
