All eyes will be on the Chicago Bears on April 25th, with two top-ten picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic released a mock draft in which he has the Bears making a massive move to land a highly-regarded prospect in the first round. If Chicago were to pull this off come draft day, it would make the Bears a playoff-bound team.
Chicago Bears Make A Massive Move In The Athletic’s Mock Draft
Pick 1: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
Make no mistake: Caleb Williams is the most gifted quarterback in the draft. He’s also coming into arguably the best situation for a rookie quarterback in NFL history. Caleb has the traits to become the next great NFL quarterback. Now, all that remains is for him to demonstrate his abilities on the field for the Bears.
Pick 6 (From NYG): Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Projected Trade: Chicago Trades No. 9, No. 75, and a 2025 mid-round pick to the New York Giants for No. 6
The prevailing consensus within the mock draft community is that the Bears will stick at pick nine or trade down. However, few are expecting them to trade up. Malik Nabers is worth trading up for, and he’s also regarded as the top wide receiver ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. by multiple NFL teams.
100% true. Nabers has been viewed as WR1 for several teams since the season. And that says more about Nabers than anything else – he's a special talent. https://t.co/QEQ2tqZDqs
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 18, 2024
Nabers is an exceptional athlete. He’s a true number-one receiver with the skill set to prove it. His ability to separate on a consistent level is breathtaking to watch. Combine that with his speed and run after the catch-it’s a recipe for the perfect wide receiver.
Adding Nabers in this mock draft and pairing him with D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen would give the Bears the best wide receiver trio in the NFL. Nabers, like Williams, would enter a situation where he doesn’t have all the burden and stress on himself. He can thrive off torching the second or third cornerback and make a name for himself in the league. In addition, he’ll have two amazing mentors who are regarded as top 10 wideouts in the league.
Yards per route run vs single coverage and excluding it from this WR class over the last two seasons.
Two names in the northeast immune to prospect fatigue. pic.twitter.com/lpW9wm96qY
— Football Insights 📊 (@fball_insights) April 6, 2024
What This Mock Draft Means For Chicago Bears
Good news for the Bears: Caleb Williams and Malik Nabers have a close friendship. “I talk to Caleb all the time,” Nabers said via 670 the Score. “He always talks about that I’m a great receiver. I’m just waiting for that day to be called. We started playing Call of Duty with each other, and then that relationship, when you’re a football player, and you’re able to connect with another football player, it’s just like your brother.”
Nabers expressed his enthusiasm about possibly being drafted by the Bears and would be grateful for the opportunity to pair up with Caleb in Chicago. Adding Williams and Nabers would elevate the Bears offense and provide a much-needed spark. For years, the Bears were built on great defenses with lackluster offenses. It’s time to change that! This is a new era of football; the Bears must cultivate a dynamic offense capable of capitalizing on turnovers forced by the defense. Nabers and Williams are poised to ensure that turnovers translate into points on offense.
Main Photo: Matt Pendleton – USA Today Sports
