Sunday was a bad day for Bears fans hoping the team can wind up in the improbable spot of controlling the No. 1 overall pick while playing in the postseason. The Carolina Panthers won, which negatively impacted the Bears’ chances of securing the top draft choice. Further, the Bears lost, which all but ensured that they’ll be left sitting at home when the playoffs begin.
When the draft rolls around next spring, however, GM Ryan Poles may look back at Sunday’s loss with a bit more fondness. For the moment, the Bears’ latest fourth-quarter collapse helped them stay in the hunt for two top-five picks.
Here’s how the full NFL draft order stands after Sunday’s slate of games, per Tankathon, which tracks win-loss records and tiebreakers.
The Bears are given draft order preference over their 5-9 counterparts– the Giants, Jets, Charger and Titans– because the Bears have the easiest strength of schedule among the group.
Right now all eyes are on the Panthers to see if they keep losing, and in turn if they help the Bears nab the No. 1 overall pick for the second year in a row. If so, the biggest storyline will be what the team decides to do with the pick. Will they trade it away for the second year in a row and stick with Justin Fields? Or will they reset their rebuild with a new franchise quarterback?
Three games remain so a lot can change, but for now it looks like the Bears will be in position to add several blue-chip players to their roster in next year’s draft.
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