Bears predicted to acquire 1,200-yard receiver in massive draft night trade

Every NFL team has reasons to be excited about Thursday's NFL Draft, but the Chicago Bears feel especially buzzworthy.

It's always interesting to draft in the top 10 when you don't need a quarterback, and that's the position in which the Bears find themselves. They can take a "best player available" approach, but the question is whether or not there's one player they like above all else.

If the Bears zero in on a prospect, especially one who might be able to elevate quarterback Caleb Williams in his second NFL season, it would be unsurprising to see them trade up in the draft to prevent that player from falling into another team's hands.

One NFL writer believes the Bears may have identified that prospect.

On Tuesday, USA Today's Christian D'Andrea predicted that the Bears would trade up two spots with the Carolina Panthers to secure the eighth overall pick, which they then would use to select Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.

"Chicago suggested it was serious when it eschewed distractions and hired the best coach for Caleb Williams; Detroit offensive savant Ben Johnson," D'Andrea wrote. Now the Bears double down on that commitment by giving Johnson and Williams 2025's most dynamic rookie skill player."

"(Warren) did everything at Penn State, opening lanes as a blocker, darting downfield as both a dynamic target and run-after-catch threat, thrived as a runner out of the backfield (214 rushing yards) and even threw a touchdown pass in 2024."

Warren racked up 1,233 receiving yards and eight touchdowns for the Nittany Lions in 16 games and added four more touchdowns on the ground. He would add explosiveness to Chicago's offense while also adding an element of surprise.

The cost of moving up two picks is likely at least a third-round pick, though, so will the Bears be so enamored with Warren that they won't risk letting him fall two more spots?