One of the biggest decisions in franchise history awaits Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. He can use the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft to select a quarterback, or he can do what he did last year and trade it for a boatload of more picks.
In his first mock draft of the year, Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic crafted a trade scenario in which the Bears send the No. 1 overall to the Atlanta Falcons. In exchange, Chicago would receive the No. 8 and 43 overall picks in the upcoming draft, along with a future first-round pick and a future second-round pick. Poles might want more than that for No. 1 overall, but let’s roll with Baumgardner here.
With the Falcons’ pick from that trade, Baumgardner has Chicago landing Florida State wide receiver Keon Coleman at No. 8. With their own pick at No. 9, Baumgardner has them selecting former Alabama edge rusher Dallas Turner with the No. 9 overall pick.
Would Dallas Turner Be a Good Addition for the Bears?
Poles made one of the best moves of his two-year tenure when he traded a second-round pick for edge rusher Montez Sweat this year. Sweat’s impact was undeniable. Prior to his arrival (he played his first game with the Bears Week 9), the defense had a total of 10 sacks. After adding him on the edge, Chicago amassed 20 sacks over its final nine games.
Alabama EDGE Dallas Turner this season:
🐘 9.0 Sacks
🐘 50 QB Pressures
🐘 19% Pass Rush Win Rate
🐘 88.7 Pass Rush Grade pic.twitter.com/tVzQGmJmbV— PFF College (@PFF_College) December 1, 2023
In 14 games this season, Turner had 11.0 sacks, 11 QB hits and 33 hurries, with a pass rush win-rate of 19.6%, according to PFF. He had 25.0 sacks over his three seasons with the Crimson Tide.
Adding a player with the skillset of the 6-foot-4, 242-pound Turner opposite Sweat on the other side would give the Bears an incredibly fearsome defensive line. In Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 defense, Turner would do exactly what he did the vast majority of the time at Alabama: line up against the outside tackle on the edge.
The scouting department at Bleacher Report had this to say about Turner:
“Turner might be the best pure athlete in this year’s edge class. He has a good get-off and is a smooth-mover when working laterally. Not to mention his speed, which allows him to close on quarterbacks and make hustle plays down the field with chase-down tackles.”
A Look at WR Keon Coleman
In a draft that promises to be absolutely stocked at the wide receiver position, with Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze among the top players, and Coleman is another intriguing prospect.
Florida State WR Keon Coleman doing Keon Coleman things.
This catch + run after catch 🤌
The end zone view is worth sticking around for too pic.twitter.com/E9sHaxuJ4j
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 11, 2023
Baumgardner believes the Bears may decide to keep starting quarterback Justin Fields, and adding the 6-foot-4, 215-pound Coleman would give Fields a reliable big-bodied target to pair with WR1 DJ Moore.
“The proposed Falcons-Bears trade at No. 1 would mean the Bears spend the 2024 draft wrapping their arms around Fields and building out the rest of a talented roster,” Baumgardner noted. “Coleman, who also played basketball at Michigan State before he transferred to Florida State, is a 6-foot-4 contested-catch machine who can run with anyone.”
Over the last two seasons with Florida State, Coleman caught 108 passes for 1,456 yards and 18 TDs. He has great athleticism and agility while also possessing a keen ability to adjust mid-route. He’s still a tad raw, but he has skills for days, and the potential is off the charts.
The primary issue with Baumgardner’s proposal? It’s far too light. In exchange for the No. 1 pick last year, the Carolina Panthers sent the Bears a top wideout in Moore, 2023 first- and second- round picks (No. 9 and No. 61) along with a 2024 first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder.
If Poles does trade No. 1 — and he says he’s open to anything — he’ll surely want more than two firsts and two seconds.
