Bears' Guide to Understanding the Impact of Week 14 on the 2024 NFL Draft Prospects
The Chicago Bears can credit the Pittsburgh Steelers for their advantageous position in the 2024 NFL draft as we approach Week 14 on Sunday and Monday.
The Bears now find themselves in an excellent position to secure the coveted No. 1 overall pick, mainly because the Carolina Panthers trail behind the Arizona Cardinals and New England Patriots by two games in the standings.
Both Arizona and New England have recently notched their third wins of the season against the Steelers in the past four days.
Carolina, on the other hand, has struggled and doesn't seem likely to win a single game, let alone two, in the next five weeks. Consequently, thanks to a previous trade that saw the Panthers secure the No. 1 pick in 2023, the Bears are poised to pick first in April.
Chicago's original first-round pick is currently at No. 5, and they will need some help from other teams across the league to ensure it remains in the top five for another week.
To enhance their chances, the Bears need the Panthers to continue their losing streak as they face the New Orleans Saints. Carolina holds a dismal 1-11 record, with a 1.5-game gap separating them from the Patriots and Cardinals.
A loss in New Orleans would drop Carolina to 1-12, creating a full two-game gap between them and New England and Arizona, with four games left in the regular season.
Although the Panthers put up a fight in their Week 13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they struggled in their secondary defense against Mike Evans, who amassed 162 yards. The upcoming matchup against the Saints and their potential performance by Chris Olave could further solidify the Bears' chances at securing the No. 1 pick.
The Bears should be fervently supporting the Saints to widen the gap for the No. 1 pick.
Carolina's remaining regular-season opponents include the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tampa Bay, so as long as they lose in New Orleans, they should confirm their position as the NFL's worst-record team.
The Bears' hopes also depend on some unlikely results in their favor to secure a top-five draft pick. New England played on Thursday, and both Arizona and the Washington Commanders are on a bye week, making it impossible for any team ahead of the Bears to drop in the draft order during Week 14.
Therefore, the Bears need to root for other 4-8 teams to pick up victories and improve their chances of securing a top-five selection. Although the New York Jets are currently in disarray, the return of Zach Wilson at quarterback might provide a spark. It may seem like grasping at straws, but Bears fans must cling to any hope for an ideal draft position.
The Houston Texans are coming off two challenging AFC matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and Denver Broncos, potentially opening the door for an upset to happen at MetLife Stadium.
The other two 4-8 teams will be playing on Monday night, with a Tennessee Titans win over the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium being unlikely. Therefore, the New York Giants are the better team to root for, as they host the Green Bay Packers. Despite being the underdogs, the Giants have shown improvement in recent weeks.
Brian Daboll's team currently sits two spots below the Bears in the draft order, and a win could be enough to prevent the Giants from surpassing Chicago. With only one potential win left on the Bears' schedule, against Arizona in Week 16, the Giants could cease to pose a threat to the Bears' top-five draft potential by Week 18.
| POLL | ||
8 DECEMBRE | 16 ANSWERS Bears' Guide to Understanding the Impact of Week 14 on the 2024 NFL Draft Prospects Will the Bears have the first overall pick? | ||
| yes | 14 | 87.5 % |
| No | 2 | 12.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
