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Hometown general manager Chris Ballard is among
the known bidders for the first pick in the draft, which
currently belongs to the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan
Poles and Ballard were co-workers and shared an office in the
Kansas City Chiefs' scouting department.
Poles and the Bears are unlikely to draft a quarterback with
Justin Fields entering his third season, but two top-rated
defensive linemen would make staying put at the top tempting.
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Alabama defensive end
Will Anderson Jr. are viewed as blue-chip players, but
quarterback demand almost always raises prospects at that
position in April.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young and Ohio State's C.J. Stroud are
expected targets of the Colts, who would like to move up from
No. 4 to avoid losing out on an elite passer. The Houston Texans
own the No. 2 pick and are also in the QB market, as are a
number of teams with selections in the top 10 who could be
willing trade matches when Poles begins comparing offers.
Poles said in January he would listen to any offer, not
immediately rejecting the notion a team could trade for Fields
instead of the No. 1 pick. The Bears also plan to meet with
quarterback prospects during in-person interviews in
Indianapolis this week.
General managers often spend countless hours meeting with agents
of their own veteran players at the combine with free agency
opening in two weeks.
They'll also be in the company of their peers during and after
player testing periods at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The No. 1 pick has been traded before draft day 12 times since
1967. This is the first time the Bears own the No. 1 pick
entering the draft since selecting Bob Fenimore in 1947. The
"Blonde Bomber" was a halfback at Oklahoma A&M.
--Field Level Media
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