NFL Odds: What Will The Bears Do With The First Overall Pick?

Thanks to the Bryce Young trade last spring, and the subsequent failures of the Carolina Panthers during the 2023 NFL season, the Chicago Bears will have the rights to the first overall pick in the upcoming draft process. But the team is in a peculiar situation with their current quarterback, and it is unclear which direction Chicago will choose to go come April.

NFL Odds: What Will The Bears Do With #1 Overall Pick?

What do you think the Bears should do with the #1 pick in the Draft? 🐻 pic.twitter.com/QQXNft4mpB

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 3, 2024

There was hope that 2023 would be the breakout year for Justin Fields. There were high hopes for the Bears entering the season, but they were one of the league’s worst through the first part of the year before picking up some victories late in the schedule. Fields hasn’t been bad, but he certainly hasn’t done enough to convince the fan base and the ownership that he is the team’s best quarterback option going forward.

And definitely not enough to kill the possibility of the team drafting his replacement with that first overall pick. The Class of 2024 promises to be top-heavy when it comes to quarterback talent, as there are two prized prospects that most of the QB-hungry NFL teams are shooting for.

So what will the Bears choose to do? Here are the betting odds for all of the possibilities, presented by BetOnline:

Drafting A QB Or Trading The Pick Seems Most Likely

Chicago now has clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Bears are on the clock.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 31, 2023

Draft QB (-175)
This is the most likely option of the bunch. Passing on Caleb Williams would be a surprise, and the team could use Fields as trade fodder as they bring in his replacement.

Trade Pick (+140)
If they decide to keep Fields and build around him as the quarterback of the future, then they could dangle the pick for other QB-hungry teams. They may be able to get a kings’ ransom, too, as Caleb Williams is considered to be one of the better NFL prospects that we have seen in recent memory. But would the team trade the first overall pick in back-to-back years?

Draft Offensive Non-QB (+700)
Would the team simply stay put and surprise everyone by selecting a non-QB offensive player? Marvin Harrison Jr. has been considered the top non-QB prospect throughout the year, and will almost certainly be a top-5 pick this year, but could the Bears make him the #1?

Draft Defensive Player (+1200)
The Bears need help on both sides of the ball, as their defense is ranked even worse than their offense. But there is no defensive quick fix in the upcoming draft class, and there is a good chance that there won’t be a defender selected within the top-10 during the upcoming process.