2024 NFL Draft: Here’s where the Bears pick in the first round after Week 8

The Chicago Bears were humiliated by the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday night. It was a pathetic showing in front of a national audience, maybe it was a necessary evil for team president Kevin Warren to begin preparing for significant changes this offseason.

Coach Matt Eberflus — the defensive-minded guy — had no answers for QB Justin Herbert and the Chargers offense. He called a conservative game despite the lack of pressure generated by his defensive line, which led to precision passing by Herbert. It was frustrating to watch. Sad, too.

Herbert completed 31 of 40 passes for 298 yards and three scores. The Bears made life way too easy for him, the defense totaled two QB hits and zero sacks.

One thing became abundantly clear Sunday night: the Bears don’t have the right coaches to overcome the talent deficiency on the roster. That needs to change this offseason, especially with Chicago owning two first-round picks.

The Bears entered Week 8 with the first- and third-overall picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Carolina Panthers were the only winless team in the NFL, but their upset victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday changed that. It also changed the first-round order.

Carolina’s victory, coupled with Chicago’s loss, now has the Bears sitting at No. 2 and No. 3 overall in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

How the Bears use those first-round picks will depend on Justin Fields and his final nine games of the 2023 season. He’s expected to return to practice this week, and with Tyson Bagent’s average performance against the Chargers, there’s no doubt Fields will return to the starting lineup.

Fields needs to finish the year strong and reaffirm his role as the long-term quarterback for this franchise. If he does, the Bears would likely use those first-round picks on Marvin Harrison Jr. (WR, Ohio State) and an offensive tackle like Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. Not bad.

The problem for the Chicago Bears and their 2024 NFL draft picks is that the Panthers have more winnable games on their schedule, there’s a chance Bryce Young gets hot and Carolina rips off a few unexpected wins. That’ll suck.

The Bears, meanwhile, have some winnable games on their schedule, too. They still have dates with the Panthers, Vikings (without Kirk Cousins), Cardinals, and Packers. If they win just half of those games, their end-of-year record will hover around four or five wins. And if that happens, the Bears could go from the No. 2 or No. 3 pick to the sixth or seventh selection.

We’re just about at the midseason mark for the NFL season. There’s a lot of football left to be played, and the first-round order of the 2024 NFL draft will change multiple times between now and the end of the year. By then, Justin Fields must give the Bears the answers they need so they can take full advantage of the most important first round in franchise history.

Here is the complete 2024 NFL Draft first-round order after Week 8:

1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Chicago Bears (via CAR)
3. Chicago Bears
4. New York Giants
5. New England Patriots
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Indianapolis Colts
8. Denver Broncos
9. Los Angeles Rams
10. Washington Commanders
11. Arizona Cardinals (via HOU)
12. Las Vegas Raiders
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Los Angeles Chargers
15. Tennessee Titans
16. New Orleans Saints
17. New York Jets
18. Cincinnati Bengals
19. Atlanta Falcons
20. Minnesota Vikings
21. Pittsburgh Steelers
22. Houston Texans (via CLE)
23. San Francisco 49ers
24. Buffalo Bills
25. Detroit Lions
26. Dallas Cowboys
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
28. Baltimore Ravens
29. Seattle Seahawks
30. Miami Dolphins
31. Kansas City Chiefs
32. Philadelphia Eagles

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