2024 NFL Draft

Bears earn No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft

The Bears officially locked up the first pick in the draft for the second straight season

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With the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears select ...

Bears fans could hear these words come April 25, as the Bears officially locked up the first pick in the NFL draft for a second consecutive season. Because the Panthers lost, 26-0, to the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 35-31, the Bears earned the coveted No. pick for a second straight season.

Like last year, the Bears have the right to draft first, should they choose.

And therein lies the overarching question --- will the Bears use the No. 1 pick to select a top player? Or, like last year, will they trade the pick to recoup a haul and trade back in the draft?

If you recall, the Bears traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to the Carolina Panthers. In return, the Bears received the No. 9 pick, a 2023 second-round pick (Tyrique Stevenson), a 2024 first-round pick (which ended up No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL draft), a 2025 second-round pick and DJ Moore.

Theoretically, the Bears could get a haul for this season's No. 1 pick. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Marvin Harrison Jr. are all arguably more coveted assets than last year's herd. But, the Bears could use one of them themselves.

If they decide to move on from Justin Fields, they will undoubtedly use the pick to draft a quarterback. But if they continue with Fields, they could draft Harrison Jr. to give Fields another weapon next to Moore.

Either way, they choose, their earning of back-to-back No. 1 picks is historic. Before the Bears, only eight teams have earned back-to-back No. 1 picks. Here are the teams who have earned the first pick in consecutive seasons.

  • Chicago Bears (2023-24)
  • Jacksonville Jaguars (2021-22)
  • Cleveland Browns (2017-18)
  • Cleveland Browns (1999-00)
  • Cincinnati Bengals (1994-95)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1986-87)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1976-77)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (1936-37)

Stay tuned this offseason to see what the Bears do with their second No. 1 pick.

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