Chicago Bears 2024 NFL Mock Draft 2.0: What could a NFL Draft Day Justin Fields trade look like?

CHICAGO, Ill. - The NFL has found homes for all of its head coaching vacancies, and the Senior Bowl is under way. This is a perfect time to speculate what the Chicago Bears are doing up in Halas Hall!

Here's our second attempt at a Bears mock draft, with our first going offense-defense in the first round.

Round 1, No. 1 overall – Caleb Williams, QB: USC

In this edition, we're going to talk Fields trades and what those could look like.

The Bears only trade Fields if they're taking a quarterback, and why would you take anyone other than Williams who has the college tape that makes Robert Griffin III seem pedestrian? (Disclaimer, he's not)

We start here in our hypothetical: Caleb Williams, welcome to Chicago.

Draft day trade for Justin Fields

Idea 1: Bears send Fields to Atlanta, receive Round 2 selection, Round 3 selection, 2025 Round 5 selection 

This is one of the most realistic scenarios. 

The Falcons are one of a few teams that could be vying for Fields. I'd venture to say the likes of Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and New Orleans.

Let's slot them here because they have the most favorable draft capital of those teams.

We're modeling this trade after the Sam Darnold trade that Carolina made with the New York Jets for Darnold in 2021 for a 2021 sixth-rounder, a second in 2022 and a fourth-rounder in 2022. The biggest difference here is that Fields has a higher ceiling than Darnold now and down the line.

If a team trades for Fields, they're banking on the idea they can unlock something that Luke Getsy and the Bears never could. Darnold hadn't shown that through the first few seasons of his career.

The Bears would do well to find a way to recoup a second round pick in this draft. Not just because they have needs to fill, but because this draft is as deep as any in recent memory.

Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon has been turning heads at the Senior Bowl. He could sneak into the first round, but if the Bears have the Falcons' second rounder in this scenario then Powers-Johnson would be the type of player to target.

The Bears need a center, and this would fill an immediate need.

Selection in second round: Jackson Powers-Johnson, center: Oregon

Idea 2: Bears send Fields, 2024 Round 3 selection and 2025 Round 2 selection to Las Vegas for Round 1, No. 13 overall

This would be one of the most daring moves of the Ryan Poles era.

The Raiders are the team to watch here, having a first-year offensive coordinator with a first-year head coach.

But, that's not the biggest reason.

First-year head coach Antonio Pierce, who shook off the interm tag this offseason, could choose to roll into next season with Aidan O'Connell and Jimmy Garroppolo, two suburban Chicago guys, at quarterback. Or, he could opt to give one of the league's most exciting quarterbacks in the last two years a fresh start.

The Bears would most likely need to give up a bit more to move into the first round again. That's okay, because in this scenario the Bears give up the Panthers' second round selection they received last year.

In his case, the Bears would have spent No. 1 on a quarterback and No. 9 on another skill player, leaving No. 13 to go towards a player like Jared Verse that fills a need opposite Montez Sweat.

It's probable the Raiders ask for more in this scenario, but the Bears leverage the rest of their second-day picks to move up and help the Raiders fill a massive need. 

Selection: Jared Verse, EDGE: Florida State

Idea 3: Bears send Fields, No. 9 overall, 2025 Round 2 selection, 2024 Round 4 selection to New England, receive No. 3 overall

This idea has caveats. Let's list them all:

• New England only considers this trade if their preferred quarterback is already off the board.
• New England is most likely asking for way more - like, way more - than what's listed above.
• New England OC Alex Van Pran might prefer to reset the quarterback market rather than try and restart Fields.

All that aside, if New England and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo prefer an experienced quarterback, then this trade would make sense. 

The Bears would move up from No. 9, but that would still allow New England to select a receiver or an offensive lineman while getting their quarterback of the future.

Chicago would then get their hands on one of the best receiver prospects since maybe Jamarr Chase or AJ Green to pair with Williams.

Selection: Marvin Harrison Jr.