The Chicago Bears played an ugly game against the Minnesota Vikings last night, narrowly escaping with a 12-10 victory. Sure, the Vikings are still in the playoff race, but the more interesting aspect of this game was the NFL draft implications.

With the Bears victory, they now sit at 4 wins alongside 6 other teams. These teams are now slotted in between 4 and 10 in the draft order, so the final few weeks will be very important to determine where teams will pick in the top 10.

Another thing that the Bears win resulted in was the bottom 3 teams separating themselves from the pack. The Carolina Panthers (1-10), Arizona Cardinals (2-10) and New England Patriots (2-9) have the worst three records in the league. Unfortunately for Carolina, their dismal season won’t end up resulting in the 1st overall pick. The Panthers traded up in the 2023 draft in order to take quarterback Bryce Young, sending their 2024 first rounder to the Bears. The Bears have to be absolutely thrilled with their current situation.

The once dominate Windy City franchise has been terrible for quite a while, with their last playoff win coming in 2010. There’s a good chance that the team may be on the upswing, with the potential of having two top-5 picks in next April’s draft. Luckily for the Bears, it’s shaping up to be a great draft, especially at the top.

There are expected to be two generational talents available in the draft, starting with USC quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams is one of the top quarterback prospects in the last 10 years, as he checks all the boxes teams look for in a franchise signal-caller. The Bears do have Justin Fields, who has had his moments as the team’s starter, but has also had a hard time staying healthy. If the team ends up with the first selection, it would likely be difficult for them not to take Williams. That could potentially set up a trade of Fields to another team.

The other generational talent likely to be available is Marvin Harrison Jr., a wide receiver from Ohio State University. The son of a Hall of Famer, Harrison reminds some scouts of Jamaar Chase from a couple of seasons ago. Like Williams, he is likely one of the top prospects at his position in the last decade.

If the Bears could pull off the acquisition of both Williams and Harrison, they are going to be in a phenomenal position going forward. With Aaron Rodgers out of the division, the Green Bay Packers reign of terror over the NFC North has finally ended. It might finally be time for the Bears to return to greatness.