you would love ESPN..
Projected trade: Houston moves up one spot
My pals
Todd McShay and
Matt Miller projected the Colts to move up to No. 1 to get a quarterback, but here's another trade Chicago should consider. This involves Houston moving up just one spot to get its quarterback of the future. It's risky for the Texans to stay at No. 2 -- what if another team makes a deal with the Bears and selects the passer they want? That's why they might be willing to give up a lot to move up from No. 2 to No. 1.
What could a trade look like? It would likely be similar to another one that involved Chicago. That was in 2017, when the Bears
moved from No. 3 to No. 2 in a trade with the 49ers to select
Mitch Trubisky. Chicago gave up pick Nos. 3, 67 and 111 along with its 2018 third-rounder. I don't think the Texans would have to give up their other first-round pick -- at No. 12 -- but they have an extra third-rounder in this draft that could be appealing.
From the Bears' perspective, they're going to get several offers for the top pick, but they have to weigh how far down the board they're willing to drop. Are they OK with going all the way to No. 7 (Raiders) or No. 9 (Panthers)? If they take an offer from Houston or Indianapolis, they're guaranteed to get one of the top two defenders in this class, defensive tackle
Jalen Carter or edge rusher
Will Anderson Jr. Stay tuned on that ...
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama
With new coach
DeMeco Ryans taking over the team that drafted him in 2006, it's clear this roster needs a ton of work. The Texans own pick Nos. 2 and 12 in Round 1, along with some cap space to bring in free agents. They're going to be able to add some early contributors. And though Ryans is a defensive coach, he has to know the most important part of success in the NFL is getting a star quarterback. That's why he and general manager Nick Caserio have to get their passer of the future, and that's why this trade makes a lot of sense.
Davis Mills isn't the guy, and this offense was among the league's worst in 2022.
It's a big week for Young, who will be under the microscope at the combine. There isn't much of a history of sub-200-pound quarterbacks having NFL success, and he could put that to the test. He was closer to 190 pounds at Alabama; how much will he weigh in Indianapolis later this week? My over/under is 195. If he's in that range, I feel good about him as the QB1.
On the field, Young doesn't have many flaws. The 2021
Heisman Trophy winner has outstanding pocket presence and is an amazing processor, always a step ahead of where to go with the football. If everything checks out at the combine, I think he's going to be the top player off the board, no matter the team.
Paris Johnson, Devon Witherspoon, Bryce Young and Lukas Van Ness ESPN
Projected trade: Indy makes its move -- and Chicago moves down again
How about another deal for the Bears? Remember, Chicago
doesn't own its second-round pick, and this is not a team that is going to contend in 2023. Why not continue to pick up capital while moving down only three total spots? To do this deal -- moving from No. 4 to No. 2 -- the Colts are going to have to give up the No. 35 overall selection, along with a few more (they have an extra third-rounder) potentially in the 2024 draft as well. Trades for
Carson Wentz and
Matt Ryan over the past two offseasons went way wrong, so if their guy is still on the board at No. 2 they should pounce, no matter the cost.
The Bears, meanwhile, are going to have prime picks to build around quarterback
Justin Fields -- we're talking a bevy of second-, third- and fourth-rounders -- and they can still get one of the top defenders. There's a lot of time to compile offers for the No. 1 pick, but doing these deals means they can add valuable draft capital and still get a great instant-impact player for next season.
C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State
Over the past 25 years, the Colts have taken two quarterbacks in the first round:
Peyton Manning, a Hall of Famer, and
Andrew Luck, who was on a Hall of Fame track before he
retired at age 29. Can they nail their quarterback pick again?
Stroud's accuracy and arm strength are underrated, and his touch to all levels of the field is the best in this class. In Indianapolis, he would have a No. 1 wideout (
Michael Pittman Jr.) and a top-tier running back (
Jonathan Taylor). I don't think the Colts are
that far from contending in the AFC South. Stroud would give new coach Shane Steichen a jolt of energy to get this team back on track.
Will Anderson Jr., OLB, Alabama
No change for the Cardinals from
my Mock Draft 1.0. Anderson, who had 27.5 sacks and 54 tackles for loss over the past two seasons, is an elite edge player who would help
new coach Jonathan Gannon's defense on Day 1. The former Eagles defensive coordinator is known for his ability to scheme up pressure looks, and he would have a blast moving Anderson around the line of scrimmage. Anderson is a complete defender, the type of guy to build a defense around.
The Cardinals ranked 31st in points allowed per game last season (26.4), so Anderson isn't the only player this unit needs. If I were Arizona general manager Monti Ossenfort, I'd also bring back free agent tackle
Zach Allen so Anderson could have some help next to him. Again, though, this is a great way to start for the new regime.
Jalen Carter, DT, Georgia
Like I wrote earlier, Chicago should be exceedingly happy in this scenario, trading down three spots and adding an elite defender and valuable picks. Carter is a fantastic player, a game-wrecker from the interior with a 310-pound frame. He's the top-ranked prospect on
my board. In Chicago, he'd immediately upgrade a porous defense that ranked last in the league in sacks (20). What's not to like?
The other scenario the Bears could consider, of course, is trading
Justin Fields and
drafting a quarterback with the top pick. I just don't see general manager Ryan Poles doing that, even though there's some logic in starting over the rookie contract clock -- Poles & Co. will have to make a decision on Fields' fifth-year option after the 2023 season. I think Chicago is more likely to try to upgrade the playmakers around Fields this offseason, helping its young dual-threat signal-caller and putting him in a better position to succeed.
Note: The Athens-Clarke County Police Department on Wednesday secured arrest warrants for Carter stemming from his alleged involvement in a fatal crash involving a teammate, and he will be arrested for reckless driving and racing.
profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
