List of Chicago Bears first-round draft picks
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chicago Bears are an American football franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference North Division.[4] The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, on September 20, 1919,[5] became professional on September 17, 1920, and moved to Chicago in 1921.[6][7][8] It is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFL's founding in 1920, along with the Arizona Cardinals, which was originally also in Chicago.[9][10][7] The team played home games at Wrigley Field on Chicago's North Side through the 1970 season; they now play at Soldier Field on the South Side adjacent to Lake Michigan.[11][12][13]
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The NFL draft, officially known as the "NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting",[14][15][16] is an annual event which serves as the league's most common source of player recruitment.[17] The draft order is determined based on the previous season's standings; the teams with the worst win–loss records receive the earliest picks. Teams that qualified for the NFL playoffs select after non-qualifiers, and their order depends on how far they advanced, using their regular season record as a tie-breaker. The final two selections in the first round are reserved for the Super Bowl runner-up and champion. Draft picks are tradable and players or other picks can be acquired with them.[18]
In 1936, the league introduced the NFL draft after team owners voted on it in 1935.[19][20] The intention of the draft is to make the NFL more competitive, as some teams had an advantage in signing players.[18][20] From 1947 through 1958 the NFL designated the first overall selection as a "bonus" or "lottery pick". The pick was awarded by a random draw and the winner who received the "bonus pick" forfeited its selection in the final round of the draft and became ineligible for future draws. The system was abolished prior to the 1959 NFL draft, as all twelve teams in the league at the time had received a bonus choice.[21][22]
Since the first draft, the Bears have selected 98 players in the first round. The team's first-round pick in the inaugural NFL draft was Joe Stydahar, a tackle from West Virginia University; he was the sixth overall selection.[23] The Bears have held the first overall pick three times and selected Tom Harmon in 1941, Bob Fenimore in 1947, and Caleb Williams in 2024.[23] In the most recent draft, held in 2025, the Bears Michigan tight end Colston Loveland.[24]
The Bears did not draft a player in the first round on nine occasions, most recently in 2022.[23] Eleven of the team's first-round picks—Dick Butkus, Jim Covert, Mike Ditka, Dan Hampton, Chuck Howley, Sid Luckman, Walter Payton, Gale Sayers, Joe Stydahar, Clyde Turner, and Brian Urlacher—have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.[22][23] Three of the team's first-round picks—Dave Behrman, Steve DeLong, and George Rice—chose to sign with the NFL's pre-merger direct competitor, the American Football League (AFL), instead.[25][26][27][28]
Player selections
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| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| † | Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame |
| * | Selected number one overall |
| Position abbreviations | |
|---|---|
| C | Center |
| CB | Cornerback |
| DB | Defensive back |
| DE | Defensive end |
| DT | Defensive tackle |
| E | End |
| FB | Fullback |
| G | Guard |
| HB | Halfback |
| LB | Linebacker |
| QB | Quarterback |
| RB | Running back |
| S | Safety |
| T | Tackle |
| TE | Tight end |
| WR | Wide receiver |
See also
Notes
- Chicago traded end Ed Manske to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for their 1939 first-round selection (No. 2 overall).[36]
- Chicago traded guard Dick Bassi and end Les McDonald to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for center John Schiechl. As a result of Schiechl failing to report, Chicago received Philadelphia's 1941 first-round selection (No. 1 overall).[37][38]
- Tom Harmon signed with the New York Americans of the American Football League, who he played a single game for prior to enlisting in the Army Air Corps.[39] In 1946, Chicago traded the rights to Harmon to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for halfback Dante Magnani and tackle Fred Davis.[40][41]
- Chicago traded back Billy Patterson to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for their 1941 first-round selection (No. 3 overall).[42][43]
- Chicago traded quarterback Bobby Layne to the New York Bulldogs (who became the New York Yanks) in exchange for their 1950 first-round selection (No. 3 overall), 1951 first-round selection (No. 10 overall), and cash.[46][47][48][49]
- Chicago traded two-way player Jim Spavital to the Baltimore Colts in exchange for their 1951 first-round selection (No. 2 overall).[50][51]
- Menan Schriewer chose to sign with Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League instead.[52]
- Chicago traded their 1963 first-round selection (No. 10 overall) to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for fullback Joe Marconi.[53][54]
- Chicago traded quarterback Ed Brown to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for their 1963 first-round selection (No. 11 overall) and 1964 second-round selection (No. 23 overall).[55]
- Chicago traded their 1964 second- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 28 and 51 overall) to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for their 1965 first-round selection (No. 3 overall).[56][57]
- Chicago traded end Angelo Coia and defensive tackle Fred Williams to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their 1965 first-round selection (No. 6 overall).[58][59]
- Chicago did not submit their first-round selection within the allotted 15 minute time frame. This allowed the New York Giants (previously pick No. 14 overall) the opportunity to select ahead of Chicago (previously pick No. 13 overall).[60]
- Chicago traded their 1970 first-round selection (No. 2 overall) to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for guard Bob Hyland, halfback Elijah Pitts, and linebacker Lee Roy Caffey.[61][62]
- Chicago traded guard Bob Hyland and cornerback Bennie McRae to the New York Giants in exchange for their 1972 first-round selection (No. 3 overall).[63][64]
- Chicago traded the rights to George Seals to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for their 1973 first-round selection (No. 17 overall).[65]
- Chicago traded a 1973 first- (received from the Kansas City Chiefs)[O] and third-round selection (Nos. 17 and 58 overall) to the Detroit Lions in exchange for their 1973 first-round selection (No. 17 overall) and tight end Craig Cotton.[66][67]
- Chicago traded a 1973 first-round selection (No. 19 overall, received from the Detroit Lions)[P] to the New England Patriots in exchange for running back Carl Garrett.[68]
- Chicago received a 1974 first-round selection (No. 20 overall) from the Los Angeles Rams as compensation for free agent wide receiver Dick Gordon.[69][70]
- Chicago traded their 1976 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 10 and 68 overall) to the Detroit Lions in exchange for their first-round selection (No. 8 overall).[67]
- Chicago traded their 1977 fourth-round selection (No. 110 overall) and 1978 first-round selection (No. 20 overall) to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for quarterback Mike Phipps.[71][72][73]
- Chicago traded defensive tackle Wally Chambers to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 1979 first-round selection (No. 4 overall) and tight end Bob Moore.[57]
- Chicago traded their 1982 second-round selection (No. 32 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 1983 first-round selection (No. 18 overall).[74]
- Chicago received a 1988 first-round selection (No. 27 overall) and 1989 first-round selection (No. 12 overall) from the Washington Redskins as compensation for free agent linebacker Wilber Marshall.[75][76]
- Chicago traded their 1989 first-round selection (No. 25 overall) to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for their 1989 second- and third-round selections (Nos. 36 and 65 overall).[77][78]
- Chicago traded wide receiver Willie Gault to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for their 1989 first-round selection (No. 11 overall) and 1990 third-round selection (No. 63 overall).[79][75][80]
- Chicago traded their 1996 first-, third, and sixth-round selections (Nos. 18, 83, and 201 overall) to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for their 1996 first-round selection (No. 13 overall).[81]
- Chicago traded their 1997 first-round selection (No. 11 overall) to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for quarterback Rick Mirer.[82]
- Chicago traded their 1999 first-round selection (No. 7 overall) to the Washington Redskins in exchange for their 1999 first-, third-, fourth-, and fifth-round selections (Nos. 12, 71, 106, and 144 overall) and 2000 third-round selection (No. 87 overall).[83]
- Chicago traded their 2003 first-round selection (No. 4 overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for their 2003 fourth- and two first-round selections (Nos. 13, 22, and 116 overall).[84]
- Chicago traded a 2003 first-round selection (No. 13 overall, received from New York Jets)[AC] to the New England Patriots in exchange for their 2003 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 14 and 193 overall).[84]
- Chicago traded their 2006 first-round selection (No. 26 overall) to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for their 2006 second- and third-round selections (Nos. 42 and 73 overall).[85]
- Chicago traded their 2009 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 18 and 84 overall), 2010 first-round selection (No. 11 overall), and quarterback Kyle Orton to the Denver Broncos in exchange for their 2009 fifth-round selection (No. 140 overall) and quarterback Jay Cutler.[86]
- Chicago traded their 2016 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 11 and 106 overall) to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for their 2016 first-round selection (No. 9 overall).[87]
- Chicago traded their 2017 first-, third-, and fourth-round selections (Nos. 3, 67, and 111 overall) and 2018 third-round selection (No. 78 overall) to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for their 2017 first-round selection (No. 2 overall).[88]
- Chicago traded their 2019 first- and sixth-round selections (Nos. 24 and 196 overall) and 2020 first- and third-round selections (Nos. 19 and 81 overall) to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for their 2020 second- and seventh-round selections (Nos. 43 and 226 overall) and linebacker Khalil Mack.[89]
- Chicago traded their 2021 first- and fifth-round selections (Nos. 20 and 164 overall) and 2022 first- and fourth-round selections (Nos. 7 and 112 overall) to the New York Giants in exchange for their 2021 first-round selection (No. 11 overall).[90]
- Chicago traded their 2023 first-round selection (No. 1 overall) to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for their 2023 first- and second-round selections (Nos. 9 and 61 overall), 2024 first-round selection (No. 1 overall), 2025 second-round selection (No. yet to be determined), and wide receiver D. J. Moore.[91][92]
- Chicago traded a 2023 first-round selection (No. 9 overall, received from Carolina Panthers)[AK] to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for their 2023 first-round selection (No. 10 overall) and 2024 fourth-round selection (No. 122 overall).[91][93]
References
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