After the Chicago Bears select Caleb Williams #1 overall on Thursday night, GM Ryan Poles must wait to see how things unfold over the next several picks. Several possibilities are in play before the Bears pick again at #9. They will need some things to go right to land on a scenario that benefits them. One possibility they don't want is the Minnesota Vikings moving up into the top three spots for Drake Maye, their reported target. Many still view him as the most talented QB in this class. Putting him in an offense with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison isn't ideal from the Bears' perspective.
Buzz continues to mount that teams are trying to move up. Minnesota isn't the only one. The New York Giants are also involved. However, to realize their hopes, they must entice the New England Patriots to move down from #3. Everybody knows Williams is going #1, and Jayden Daniels is likely going #2 to Washington. That leaves the Patriots with a decision to make. Do they stay put and take Maye, who could be their next franchise quarterback, or do they take one of the massive trade offers and move down?
According to both Albert Breer of the MMQB and Peter Schrager of the NFL Network, the general belief is New England will stay put and take Maye.
New England taking Maye does the Chicago Bears a few favors.
For one, it robs a division rival of the three most talented quarterbacks in the draft, leaving them with J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix, and Bo Nix as their best remaining options. All three come with question marks that limit their projected ceilings. That aside, it also ensures three quarterbacks go in the first three picks, meaning more top non-QB prospects will get pushed down the board. It opens up the potential for the Bears to land somebody experts didn't expect to reach the 9th spot. If somebody trades up to #4 for another quarterback, even better.
The Patriots going in this direction wouldn't be a surprise. Yes, their roster is in rough shape and needs work. That said, picking this high isn't a regular certainty. Eliot Wolf, their primary decision-maker, is the son of Hall of Famer Ron Wolf. He understood how vital the QB position was. The first thing he did when getting to Green Bay in 1992 was trade a 1st round pick for Brett Favre. Wolf likely believes the first step is securing the talented quarterback. They can figure out the roster after that.
If it plays out this way, the Chicago Bears are in good shape.
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