Mocking the Mocks: Bears execute the double trade back

Jan 28, 2023 - 11:44 PM

There has been a lot of buzz this week about the quarterbacks set to go atop the 2023 NFL Draft. The Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, and Carolina Panthers all seem dead set on wanting a brand new signal caller to break in for their franchises. The Chicago Bears hold the first pick and have no intention of replacing 23-year-old Justin Fields, so the phone lines have been open.

General manager Ryan Poles trading back is a near certainty, and the more teams that start to covet Will Levis, C.J. Stroud, and Bryce Young, the better it'll be for Chicago.

The best-case scenario for the Bears is to have a bidding war heat up between AFC South rivals the Texans and Colts, which would entice one of them to overpay for Chicago's number one pick. In the latest mock draft from NBC Sports' Laurence Holmes, he has the Colts moving to one from four (to jump the Texans) and selecting Alamaba's Young.

Houston takes the next QB, Kentucky's Levis; then he has the Cardinals taking possible Bears' target, defensive tackle Jalen Carter from Georgia, at three before trading back again.

The Raiders have Derek Carr, who is on the trade block, and while there have been a few Tom Brady/Aaron Rodgers to Vegas rumors, they may want to start fresh with a rookie QB. Holmes has them jumping the Panthers for their guy, who in this scenario is Ohio State's Stroud.

A double trade back is sure to set the Bears up with first-round picks this year, next year, and even in 2024, plus plenty more day-two picks in the next few years.

This mock has the Bears taking Northwestern's and Maine South High School's Peter Skoronski at seven overall. Skoronski looks like a day-one starter, and while some believe he'd have to kick inside to guard at the next level, he was a fantastic collegiate left tackle, and I imagine any team that drafts him would start him out at tackle.

Here's a clip of Holmes talking through the first seven picks in the draft and the Bears taking Skoronski.

You'll have to use your imagination on what the trade compensation would be if this double trade back played out in the actual draft, but how would you like this scenario of going back and ending up with Skoronski?