Baldinger: Bears' draft picks have already been turned into gold with trades for Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen

The Chicago Bears have been the talk of the football world this offseason given their quarterback situation. Even after trading Justin Fields to the Steelers, the Bears have a few key decisions ahead of them at the NFL Draft.

NFL Insider Brian Baldinger joined Dan Wiederer on the Audacy original podcast “Take The North” to discuss Caleb Williams, what Ryan Poles could do with the Bears’ ninth overall pick, and how Chicago already turned two of its picks into gold.

“We’re going to find out what kind of agility (Ryan Poles) has because you’re going to need agility to maximize that number nine pick,” Baldinger said. “There are going to be trades that will be made before we get to draft night but even on the clock, I mean if one of these receivers … Is Rome Odunze available? To me, you can’t pass him up if he’s there at nine. Is Joe Alt somehow available? Is Dallas Turner available at nine?

If there are a few options available for the Bears it may not be a bad idea for Poles to move down, provided that Chicago can still select one of its main targets.

“I feel like they need an edge rusher, they need a receiver, they need a corner. I think those are positions of need and then they may all be available, none of them may be available,” Baldinger continued. “To use the agility phrase here, what can you do to maximize that? Is it a trade back with a team where you can still get a guy that you really covet and get extra picks?”

Baldinger is already relatively high on this year’s draft for the Bears due to Poles’ moves last season and this offseason. He was able to acquire an edge rusher in Montez Sweat for a second-round pick back in October before trading a fourth-round pick for wide receiver Keenan Allen last month.

“I feel like the (second-round) pick for Montez Sweat is gold. Montez Sweat isn’t in this draft. There are good edge rushers; Montez isn’t in it,” he said. “Keenan Allen in the fourth round probably isn’t available. So I feel like the second and fourth-round picks have already been turned into gold.”

Williams is the presumed first-overall pick and the Bears already added two key pieces with their second and fourth-round picks. The big question is what Poles can do with the Bears’ own first-round selection.

“Now, what can you do with that number nine pick,” said Baldinger, “is there another nugget of gold that the Bears can access there with that pick?”

There are still a few weeks until the NFL Draft with the first round taking place on Thursday, April 25th.