ESPN's Latest Draft Spot Projections Should Thrill Chicago Bears Fans

It was a good weekend for Chicago Bears draft enthusiasts. Tampa Bay did just enough to take down the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, dropping them to 1-11 on the season. That means the Bears still hold the right to the #1 pick in the draft with five weeks left in the season. Even better, the Arizona Cardinals went into Pittsburgh and upset the Steelers. That pushed them to three wins on the year, providing a two-game cushion from Carolina. Things are looking about as good as they possibly can with the final month of the season almost at hand.

While some people aren't ready to feel excited yet, Seth Walder of ESPN believes it might be time. The analytics expert runs regular projections on the probability of every team's odds for landing the #1 pick. Thanks to the Panthers' loss and the Cardinals' win, the Bears now have a 93% chance of securing a top-2 selection in the draft. That would guarantee them one of the top quarterbacks or wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. It would take a lot of unlikely scenarios for the Bears not to end up in that situation.

The Chicago Bears have a favorable schedule in their corner.

No, not their schedule. The Panthers'. Their next four games will be against New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Green Bay. The first two already beat Carolina earlier this season. Jacksonville and Green Bay are squarely in the playoff chase and have played really well in recent weeks. Presuming they lose those four games, it may not matter what happens in the season finale against Tampa Bay. Chicago will have their top pick locked up. This is tremendous news for an organization still chasing Green Bay.

They appear to have something building. The defense is young, aggressive, and physical. Poles has built a strong and nasty offensive line, while D.J. Moore gives them a legitimate weapon in the passing game. If the Chicago Bears can land two legitimate blue-chip players in this draft, it might set them up for a playoff push in 2024. Much of it may hinge on whether they can figure out the coaching situation. Either way, the prospects for this team can't be looking much before, at least from a future perspective.