The Chicago Bears are trying to build a winner, and one of the main things standing in their way is a lack of superstar talent.
One day, the Bears still hope quarterback Caleb Williams can be a superstar, but he’s clearly not there yet. Otherwise, the roster is full of very solid players all around (D.J. Moore, Jaylon Johnson, Montez Sweat), but no one who can elevate an 11-man unit by himself.
If the Bears have the opportunity to draft a player on either side of the ball with the chance to be a game-breaker this month, they may have to take it. But with the 10th selection in the first round, it’s unlikely one would fall in their laps.
That’s why one NFL writer is projecting the Bears to take a big swing at the top defensive player in this draft cycle.
In a recent mock draft, Pete Martuneac of Bears On SI came up with a trade idea that would send the 10th and 39th picks in this year’s draft to the New England Patriots for the fourth-overall pick, with which Chicago would draft Penn State edge-rusher Abdul Carter.
“Carter is the definition of a game-wrecker and by far the top defensive prospect in this draft. Paired up with Montez Sweat, he has the potential to be a yearly double-digit sack guy and perennial Pro Bowler. This would be a home run for the Bears,” Martuneac wrote.
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“The Patriots accept this trade because they’re still in rebuild mode and could use the extra picks, and the Bears land the top defensive talent in this draft.”
If New England really would accept this trade, as Martuneac predicts, the Bears could land a 6-foot-3 monster who led the nation with 23.5 tackles for loss this past season. There were rumblings that Carter could even go first overall in this draft, though those seem to have quieted lately.
Sometimes, the right trade at the right time in the draft can save a franchise–just look at what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes in 2017. Could the Bears get their opportunity to do so in 2025?
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