The Indianapolis Colts will likely try to trade with the Chicago Bears for the No. 1 pick but Indy will have some competition trying to outbid them.
Since the Chicago Bears secured the No. 1 pick, it seemed plausible that they would end up trading the pick. The Bears have already have a young quarterback in Justin Fields, and they could stay at No. 1 and select an elite defensive prospect like Will Anderson, but it also makes sense to trade the pick for a ton of assets to a quarterback-needy team and still remain in the top 10. After a few weeks of speculation that Chicago could be keeping the pick and actually trading Justin Fields, it now seems as though the Bears have officially made the decision to shop the No. 1 pick.
On Monday, it was reported by Adam Schefter that the Bears are now “leaning toward” trading away the top pick. For teams like the Indianapolis Colts that need a quarterback, this is exactly the news that Indy needed to hear. Currently sitting with the No. 4 overall pick, the Colts are in a great position to negotiate a trade up to No. 1, something many draft analysts have already predicted will happen.
However, Indianapolis isn’t the only team that desperately needs a quarterback and they also won’t be the only team contacting the Bears trying to acquire the No. 1 pick. If several teams are interested in a drafting a specific quarterback, there could be a bidding war for Chicago’s No. 1 pick. If that happens, here are four teams the Colts will likely have to outbid.
4. Colts must outbid the Houston Texans
Indy’s AFC South rival, the Houston Texans, are one of the most obvious choices and biggest threats. Like the Colts, Houston hired a new coach this offseason and now need a quarterback to complete the next step of the rebuild. The Texans are entering the 2023 draft with the second-overall pick and could easily be content with landing the second-best quarterback of the class at worst.
However, if the Texans have their mind made up on selecting a specific prospect and don’t want anyone to jump them, they’ll be on the phone with the Bears to secure the No. 1 pick. From Chicago’s perspective, trading with Houston makes a lot of sense. The Bears would only be moving one spot back and would still be able to choose from all but one prospect. Additionally, the Texans also have the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft and Chicago may be interested in acquiring that pick in a trade package for No. 1.
This happening could be Indy’s worst nightmare. Not only would Houston likely select the quarterback that Indianapolis has its sights set on but Indy will have to face this quarterback twice a year for possibly the next decade. That should be enough incentive to motivate the Colts to get to No. 1.