2024 NFL Draft: Here’s where the Bears pick in the 1st round entering Week 17

The Chicago Bears enjoyed the best of both worlds in Week 17. They won their game, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-16, and still improved their odds of securing the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Granted, the Bears didn’t improve the position of their own first-round pick, but the Carolina Panthers lost to the Green Bay Packers, 33-30, inching them one week closer to locking up the No. 1 pick.

Merry Christmas to all my fellow #DaBears fans, and to you Packers fans as well, who may have gifted us the No. 1 pick. Thank you!! pic.twitter.com/xznrjnDSqg

— Bryan Perez (@BryanPerezNFL) December 25, 2023

Now 2-13 on the season, the Panthers lead the Cardinals by one loss (Arizona is 3-12). Carolina has a weaker strength of schedule, too, which should remain that way over the final two games. The Panthers play the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccanneers, who sport a combined 16-14 record.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals play the Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks, who combine for an 18-11 record. Assuming the Eagles defeat the Giants in Week 16, that record will improve to 19-11. In other words, Arizona has a more difficult schedule than Carolina, so if the Panthers and Cardinals end the season with the same record, Carolina gets the first pick.

Simplifying it even further, the Panthers have to lose one of their final two games for the Chicago Bears to be “on the clock.”

Chicago’s Week 16 win knocked their first-round pick down to No. 8 overall. If the Giants upset the Eagles on Christmas Day, the Bears will move up to No. 7. That’s unlikely, however. With the Bears playing two winnable games against the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers over the final two weeks of the season, there’s a good chance their first-round pick will drop outside of the top 10.

Chicago Bears fans won’t care if that happens. The Panthers’ first-round pick is all that really matters, especially with the 2024 NFL draft featuring a quarterback locked in as the No. 1 overall pick. Even if GM Ryan Poles decides to keep Justin Fields at the end of the season, quarterback-needy teams will likely give up a record-setting number of picks (and potentially players) to move into position to draft USC’s Caleb Williams.

What say you? Do you want the Bears to keep Justin Fields and trade the first pick, or would you rather they move on and select Caleb Williams or Drake Maye? Become a premium Bears Talker and let your voice be heard! Click below to learn more.