How to get ready for the Bears’ draft night
A monumental NFL Draft awaits for the Chicago Bears.
For the first time in 21 years, the Bears have multiple first-round draft picks. The organization has an opportunity to add two premium players in the 2024 draft. With the No. 1 overall pick — thanks to last year’s trade with the Carolina Panthers — the Bears appear likely to select a new franchise quarterback.
Most analysts believe general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first pick. The first round on April 25 will begin with the Bears on the clock, and it could begin by anointing Williams as the Bears’ new starting quarterback.
What happens after that is anybody’s guess. There are four or five additional intriguing quarterbacks, some of whom likely will be selected quite high.
In addition to the first pick, the Bears hold the No. 9 overall pick. April 25 will be a big night for the Bears, as will the following two days.
Below is everything Bears fans need to know about the 2024 draft.
When is the NFL draft?
The NFL draft is April 25-27. The first round will begin at 7 p.m. the first day. The following day at 6 p.m., the draft will continue with rounds two and three. The draft will conclude with the final four rounds beginning at 11 a.m. April 27.
Detroit is hosting this year’s draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza downtown. It’s the city’s first time hosting the event.
Which picks do the Bears have in the 2024 draft?
The Bears currently hold four picks in the 2024 draft, but they could acquire more through trades. They are slated to pick first overall, ninth overall, 75th (third round) and 122nd (fourth round).
Here’s a breakdown of what happened to all the Bears’ original 2024 picks, and how they acquired any additional 2024 picks.
- First round: No. 1 overall — acquired through trade with Panthers
- First round: No. 9 overall — Bears’ original first-round pick
- Second round: No. 40 overall — traded to Commanders for DE Montez Sweat
- Third round: No. 75 overall — Bears’ original third-round pick
- Fourth round: No. 110 overall — traded to Chargers for WR Keenan Allen
- Fourth round: No. 122 overall — acquired during draft night trade with Eagles in 2023
- Fifth round pick: No. 144 overall — traded to Bills for OL Ryan Bates
- Sixth round pick: No. 184 overall — traded to Dolphins for OL Dan Feeney
- Seventh round: No. 231 overall — traded to Patriots for WR N’Keal Harry
What time will the Bears pick?
With the first overall pick, the Bears will be on the clock as soon as the draft kicks off at 7 p.m. April 25. During the first round, teams are allotted 10 minutes per pick. Even with the first overall pick, the league will likely take the full 10 minutes to drum up some suspense — even though the Bears will have made up their mind long before draft night.
So Bears fans should expect to know who their team is selecting by about 7:10 p.m. on night one.
It’s a little more tricky to know when the Bears will make a selection at No. 9. While allotting 10 minutes per selection, the No. 9 overall pick should be on the clock no later than about 8:20 p.m. That is if all of the first eight picks use the full 10 minutes. It will likely be a few minutes sooner. Bears fans should definitely be on alert any time after 8 p.m.
Last year, the Bears used the No. 10 overall pick to select lineman Darnell Wright. They made that selection at about 8:25 p.m.
If the Bears trade the No. 9 overall pick and move down in the draft order, that will complicate things. It’s impossible to know what time they might pick without knowing how far down they trade.
The first round typically takes about four hours. Last year, the Chiefs made the final selection of the first round just before 11 p.m.
How can I watch the draft?
The 2024 NFL draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network. It is also available on ESPN Deportes. It can be streamed with NFL Plus, the ABC app or the ESPN app.