The Chicago Bears stole the No. 1 overall pick from the Houston Texans at the final hurdle, as Chicago added another loss to its season-long tally in Week 18 whereas Houston picked up a costly win over the Indianapolis Colts. With their 32-31 victory over the Colts, the Texans improved to 3-13-1. Interestingly, it was also a tie in Week 1 against Indianapolis that “helped” Houston finish with a better record than 3-14 Chicago.'
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As such, the Bears are for all intents and purposes on the clock. Although quarterbacks go No. 1 more often than not, Chicago is seemingly set at that position in the form of Justin Fields. Will the front office decide to address one of its other needs or will it shop the top pick on the trade market to a team that is desperate for a QB?
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Now that the draft order is set, it's time to break down the odds to go No. 1 overall and discuss the contenders who will find themselves at or near the top of all mock drafts.'
Odds to be selected No. 1 overall in NFL Draft'
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is a slight favorite to go No. 1 overall, while Ohio State signal-caller C.J. Stroud is not far behind as the second choice.'
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Here is the list of the top-10 favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook:'
- Bryce Young -125'
- C.J. Stroud +175'
- Will Anderson Jr. +600'
- Jalen Carter +800'
- Will Levis +1500'
- Anthony Richardson +6000'
- Paris Johnson +7500'
- Peter Skoronski +7500'
- Bryan Bresee +10000'
- Nolan Smith +20000
NFL mock draft No. 1 overall pick: Jalen Carter (+800)
Bears general manager Ryan Poles would not 100 percent commit to Fields when he spoke to the media on Tuesday, but obviously that is just about maintaining leverage. He was never going to come out and say, “we definitely aren’t taking a quarterback.” Poles did admit that he would have to be “absolutely blown away” by a QB in the 2023 class in order to go in that direction. The bottom line is that Fields was good enough in 2022 to inspire long-term confidence.
Will Chicago trade out? It’s possible, but there is more than just 1 great quarterback available; it’s not just Young. Stroud projects to be an outstanding pro and there are high expectations for Kentucky’s Will Levis, too. A QB-craving franchise like Houston or Indianapolis does not necessarily have to jump up all the way to No. 1 to get a stud.