There are two competing camps regarding the Chicago Bears and the #1 pick. Either GM Ryan Poles will take the best defender at the spot, or he will trade the pick to the team most desperate for a quarterback. Each camp has a fair argument. Picking #1 gives them the best possible chance to land a superstar. On the other hand, trading back would secure them multiple high picks, enabling Poles to completely revamp a depleted roster. It’s not an easy decision and will require careful thought.
Local insiders Adam Hoge and Adam Jahns spoke about it on their Hoge & Jahns podcast. Hoge predicted that the Bears would end up trading the pick. Not only that, but they won’t even wait until draft night. They’ll deal it weeks before the event takes place. Jahns took it a step further. He agrees that the Bears will trade the pick, but he went so far as to say which team ends up closing the deal.
Start with the connections. Poles worked with Indianapolis Colts GM Chris Ballard for years in Kansas City. They have a strong personal relationship. Matt Eberflus also worked for the Colts as their defensive coordinator from 2018 to 2021. He’s highly respected inside that building. Such familiarity often makes it easier for two teams to discuss trade possibilities.
Then there is the situation the Colts are in. Their attempts to solve the QB issue have badly faltered over the past two years. Carson Wentz disappointed in 2021, and Matt Ryan was a disastrous flop this past year. Owner Jim Irsay is reportedly furious with team brass for not going young at the position sooner. That leads one to think the obvious. Ballard will be under intense pressure to land one of the top prospects this year.
What brings this together is the fact Houston sits at #2. The Colts and Texans are division rivals. If Indianapolis does covet one of the quarterbacks in this class, they likely won’t be comfortable risking him going to a team they’d have to play twice a year. The only way to prevent it is by jumping ahead of them at #1. That is why the Chicago Bears have so much leverage.
