Chicago, you are on the clock. After the Bears fell to the Vikings and Houston came away with a last-minute victory over the Colts in Week 18, the Bears find themselves with the top overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Now that they've acquired that pick, the question becomes what they'll do with it.
In the mock drafts leading up to the end of the regular season that still had Houston slotted at No. 1, a quarterback -- primarily Alabama's Bryce Young -- has come off the board with the top pick. With Justin Fields entrenched at quarterback, Chicago wouldn't take a signal-caller at the top spot, right?
"We're going to do the same as we've always done," Bears GM Ryan Poles told reporters Tuesday when asked if the team would consider taking a quarterback at No. 1 overall. "We're going to evaluate the draft class. I would say this, I would have to be absolutely blown away to make that type of decision."
For those at home, that's not a no. However, this does seem to be the correct approach by Poles. Not only should Chicago assess the prospects to see if there is a generational talent at the quarterback position that may rival Fields, but leaving open the door of possibly taking a quarterback is good gamesmanship that continues to increase the value of that pick in the trade market.
It's also worth noting that Poles did speak highly of Fields, but did emphasize the need for him to make a leap as a passer.
"I thought Justin did a good job," Poles said. "I thought we changed a lot, we adapted, we tried to put him in a position to be successful. He's shown the ability to be a playmaker, be impactful. He can change games quickly. Does he have room to grow? He does. He has to get better as a passer and I'm excited to see him take those steps as we move forward."
When asked directly if he anticipates Fields being the starter in 2023, Poles said: "We had good conversations. I'm excited for the direction he's going and as I mentioned before he knows where he has to improve. I think he mentioned that the other day, so we're excited about his development and where he goes next. He showed ability to be impactful with his legs. There's flashes with his arm. Now, if we can put that together I think we have something really good."
While Poles may have clouded Chicago's future a bit by leaving the door open a crack at the possibility of the Bears taking a quarterback, the organization is in a position of power this offseason. Not only do the Bears hold this No. 1 overall pick, but they have significantly more cap space than anyone else in the league. According to Spotrac, Chicago has just over $113 million in cap space. The club with the second highest amount of space currently is the Atlanta Falcons, who have around $58.5 million.
With all that in mind, it's going to be a fascinating offseason in Chicago.
