The 2021 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and with it comes the usual flurry of predictions, rumors, and mock drafts. The latest mock draft from NFL.com has Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears making waves on draft day, with three proposed first-round trades that would land them two impact players.
The first trade sees the Bears shipping their No. 1 overall pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for the No. 2 overall pick, plus two picks from the DeShaun Watson trade: a 2023 third-rounder and a 2024 first-rounder. With the No. 2 pick, the Texans select QB Bryce Young.
The Bears then flip the No. 2 pick to the Indianapolis Colts, who select C.J. Stroud at No. 2, in exchange for No. 4, a second-round pick, plus a 2024 second-rounder and a 2024 third-rounder.
The Arizona Cardinals select Georgia DT Jalen Carter at No. 3, and the Bears are on the clock once again. This time, the Bears stay put and select Alabama edge rusher Will Anderson at No. 4. Anderson would bring a much-needed pass rush presence to the Bears defense, which ranked dead last in the NFL with only 20 sacks last year.
The Bears aren’t done there, though. The mock draft has GM Ryan Poles trading back into the first round to select SMU WR Rashee Rice. The Bears send the Colts’ second-round pick (No. 35) and their own fourth-rounder to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for the No. 32 overall pick and Rice.
If everything goes according to plan, the Bears would have upgraded their defense, added a dynamic playmaker at wide receiver, and still have a wealth of picks left to use throughout the rest of the draft. It’s a dream scenario for the Bears, and one that could very well become a reality.
