2023 NFL Draft: First-round trades Bears could make, including a potential deal with Steelers

Last month, the Chicago Bears made waves when they traded the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Bears, currently armed with 10 draft picks, may not be done making waves during the draft, especially during the first round. 

In trading the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers, the Bears received two first-round picks, two second-round picks and receiver D.J. Moore. The Bears currently own the No. 9 overall pick, a pick the majority of our CBS Sports draft experts have them using on an offensive tackle. Chicago could stay at No. 9, but they could certainly trade either forward or backward in the first round in order to better improve a roster that has already undergone significant changes this offseason. 

Let’s take a look at three trades general manager Ryan Poles could make on the first night of the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Bears 2023 draft picks 

Round 1: Pick 9 (from CAR)
Round 2: Pick 53 (from BAL)
Round 3: Pick 61 (from CAR) 
Round 3: Pick 64 
Round 4: Pick 103
Round 4: Pick 133 (from PHI)
Round 5: Pick 136
Round 5: Pick 148 (from NE)
Round 7: Pick 218
Round 7: Pick 258 (compensatory pick) 

1. Get back the 32nd overall pick

It’s safe to say that the Bears got fleeced when they traded what became the 32nd overall pick to the Steelers for wideout Chase Claypool just before last year’s deadline. The Steelers won’t simply give the Bears a do-over, but it appears that Pittsburgh GM Omar Khan could be open to using the pick in another deal with Poles. 

There are rumblings out there that the Steelers have spoken with the Bears about possibly trading up to the No. 9 overall pick. That would likely require the Steelers giving up the 17th overall pick and possibly the pick the Bears gave them in the Claypool trade. Pittsburgh reportedly would use the No. 9 pick to select Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson. 

Both teams could look good in this scenario. The Steelers can say they used the Claypool trade to acquire arguably the best offensive tackle in the draft. Chicago would be able to salvage a bad trade by getting their pick back. The only negative here is that the Bears may miss out on their chance to acquire a top-tier offensive tackle with the 17th overall pick. They’d likely have to hope that either Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski or Georgia’s Broderick Jones is still available at that point in the first round. 

2. Texas two-step 

The Bears could have a future…