Chicago Bears Will Love New #1 Pick Odds After Latest Panthers Loss

The Chicago Bears already had a decent grip on the #1 pick at this time last week. In that span, things have shifted dramatically. It started with the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots both getting victories over the Pittsburgh Steelers in a five-day span. Both teams had only two wins each, leaving them in close proximity to the one-win Carolina Panthers. That development put them 1.5 games behind for the #1 pick. Carolina then did their part, losing to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to reach a 1-12. They now own a two-game lead for the worst record in football.

That means Chicago has a two-game lead for the #1 pick next year. According to the latest odds, the Bears now have a 93.2% chance of landing that pick. Barring something completely unexpected, Ryan Poles will control the NFL draft for the second straight year. That gives Chicago untold amounts of leverage. Remember, they turned that pick into D.J. Moore, Darnell Wright, a 1st round pick next year, and a 2nd round pick in 2025. He could use it this time on a new quarterback, or he might even trade it again.

The Chicago Bears may have engineered a trade for the ages.

Okay, that might seem a bit dramatic, but there is no denying Ryan Poles pulled off something quite rare. He landed a Pro Bowl wide receiver and a potential franchise right tackle with the first part of that deal with Carolina. Now, he could either land a possible franchise quarterback or another massive trade package next year. It could be a gift that keeps on giving. Organizations often dream of opportunities like this. If handled correctly, it can build championship-caliber rosters. What Poles pulled off hasn't been seen since the Jim Finks era.

Much work is left to do. Carolina must continue doing its part by losing. They have four games left. Two of them are against teams with winning records. The other two are against division rivals who have already beaten them this year. Even if the Panthers win one of those games, it won't matter. That is how vital the two-game cushion in the standings is. The Chicago Bears couldn't ask for a better development. They're free to keep winning, building momentum for next year while another team secures them the top pick in the draft.