The Carolina Panthers will hit the road to meet the Chicago Bears for their Week 10 matchup tonight and no matter the result, it’s a win-win for the home team in terms of draft positioning.
Chicago currently owns Carolina’s first-round pick for the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft as a result of trade prior to this past draft. The Panthers traded up to No. 1 to select Bryce Young in April, sending the Bears a massive package that included multiple draft picks and DJ Moore. And with both teams having two of the worst records in the league at the moment, the Bears are in a position to having two of the top five picks in next year’s draft.
If the season ended at this very moment, Chicago would own the No. 2 and 3 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft. A Bears victory tonight would drop the Panthers to 1-8 on the season, which would put them into a tie with the Cardinals for the worst record in the league and the No. 1 overall pick. A Panthers victory would drop the Bears to 2-8 and in that scenario, Chicago would still own two of the top five picks by the end of Week 10.
So again, this game is a win-win for the Bears in their pursuit of drafting multiple top prospects like Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, or Marvin Harrison Jr.
2024 NFL Draft order ahead of Week 10
| Pick | Team | record | Win% | Games back | SOS | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pick | Team | record | Win% | Games back | SOS | Streak |
| 1 | Arizona | 1-8 | 0.111 | — | 0.535 | Lost 6 |
| 2 | Carolina –> CHI | 1-7 | 0.125 | 0.5 | 0.507 | Lost 1 |
| 3 | Chicago | 2-7 | 0.222 | 1 | 0.479 | Lost 2 |
| 4 | NY Giants | 2-7 | 0.222 | 1 | 0.524 | Lost 2 |
| 5 | New England | 2-7 | 0.222 | 1 | 0.551 | Lost 2 |
| 6 | LA Rams | 3-6 | 0.333 | 2 | 0.521 | Lost 3 |
| 7 | Green Bay | 3-5 | 0.375 | 2.5 | 0.459 | Won 1 |
| 8 | Tampa Bay | 3-5 | 0.375 | 2.5 | 0.49 | Lost 4 |
| 9 | Denver | 3-5 | 0.375 | 2.5 | 0.521 | Won 2 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 3-5 | 0.375 | 2.5 | 0.549 | Lost 1 |
| 11 | Atlanta | 4-5 | 0.444 | 3 | 0.42 | Lost 2 |
| 12 | Washington | 4-5 | 0.444 | 3 | 0.476 | Won 1 |
| 13 | Indianapolis | 4-5 | 0.444 | 3 | 0.493 | Won 1 |
| 14 | Las Vegas | 4-5 | 0.444 | 3 | 0.497 | Won 1 |
| 15 | Houston –> ARI | 4-4 | 0.500 | 3.5 | 0.486 | Won 1 |
| 16 | NY Jets | 4-4 | 0.500 | 3.5 | 0.514 | Lost 1 |
| 17 | LA Chargers | 4-4 | 0.500 | 3.5 | 0.521 | Won 2 |
| 18 | Buffalo | 5-4 | 0.556 | 4 | 0.517 | Lost 1 |
| 19 | New Orleans | 5-4 | 0.556 | 4 | 0.389 | Won 2 |
| 20 | Minnesota | 5-4 | 0.556 | 4 | 0.496 | Won 4 |
| 21 | Dallas | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.476 | Lost 1 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.517 | Won 1 |
| 23 | Cleveland –> HOU | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.521 | Won 1 |
| 24 | Cincinnati | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.569 | Won 4 |
| 25 | Seattle | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.479 | Lost 1 |
| 26 | San Francisco | 5-3 | 0.625 | 4.5 | 0.503 | Lost 3 |
| 27 | Miami | 6-3 | 0.667 | 5 | 0.479 | Lost 1 |
| 28 | Jacksonville | 6-2 | 0.750 | 5.5 | 0.517 | Won 5 |
| 29 | Detroit | 6-2 | 0.750 | 5.5 | 0.469 | Won 1 |
| 30 | Baltimore | 7-2 | 0.778 | 6 | 0.55 | Won 4 |
| 31 | Kansas City | 7-2 | 0.778 | 6 | 0.514 | Won 1 |
| 32 | Philadelphia | 8-1 | 0.889 | 7 | 0.463 | Won 3 |
Draft order courtesy of Tankathon