NFL
Todd McShay Mock Draft Has League-Shaking Trade at the No. 1 Pick
Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sportscasting in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.
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The Chicago Bears hold the keys to the 2023 NFL Draft with the No. 1 overall pick. Signs now point to them sticking with quarterback Justin Fields and trading that pick to the highest bidder. In the latest Todd McShay mock draft, the ESPN draft analyst predicts an Indianapolis Colts-Bears trade that will shake up the league and bring the top quarterback prospect to Indy.
Latest Todd McShay mock draft predicts Colts-Bears trade at top of 2023 NFL Draft
The most intriguing aspect of the 2023 NFL Draft right now is what the Bears do with the No. 1 pick. Assuming they are not taking a quarterback (after taking two in the last six years), trading the pick should be the most likely outcome.
There are three top QB prospects — Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis — in this draft, and two blue-chip defensive players — Georgia’s Jalen Carter and Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. — at this top of this draft.
That means the Bears can trade back as far as No. 4 and still get Carter or Anderson.
And that’s exactly what happens in the latest Todd McShay mock draft. McShay predicts a Bears-Colts trade where the Colts move up to take Young, a player Colts owner Jim Irsay has publically expressed his admiration for, and the Bears move back to No. 4.
In return for the top spot, McShay has the Bears receiving the No. 4 pick, No. 35 in the second round, a fifth-round pick in 2023, and the Colts’ 2024 first-round selection. All that, plus Carter or Anderson at No. 4, is an excellent haul for a Bears franchise that’s biggest need is simply more talent up and down the roster.
The combine will tell us a lot about the 2023 draft class
The 2023 NFL Draft Combine kicks off in Indianapolis on February 28 and runs through March 6. This is when the NFL and its fans (live on NFL Network) will get an up-close look at the major prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft class.
Saturday, March 4, will be the best day to watch, as that is the day quarterbacks, wide receivers, and tight ends workout. In a WR class with no true hierarchy yet, the 40-yard dash times for this position will be especially important.
However, the most important moment at the combine — and the one that pertains to this Colts-Bears trade in the Todd McShay mock draft — will come when Bryce Yong gets his official measurements.
Young is an incredibly accomplished college quarterback who has won a Heisman Trophy at Alabama. His movement, vision, and creativity in the pocket have drawn comparisons to everyone from Patrick Mahomes to Stephen Curry.
The only problem is his size.
The Alabama Crimson Tide website lists Young at 6 feet, 194 pounds. However, some reports speculate that he’s closer to 5-foot-10. One anonymous AFC scout told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler he believed Young’s weight was “as low as 168 pounds earlier in his Alabama career.”
If Bryce Young measures near 6 feet and is bulked up to over 200 pounds, chances are he’s the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. If not, his draft stock could drop.
