Updated Chicago Bears 2024 draft picks after Keenan Allen trade

Fans of the Chicago Bears were getting restless. The NFL's free agency period had only officially been open for a day, but with many star players already signed to new contracts to play for teams that did not call The Windy City home, something had to give. Sure, the team had made some moves of note, such as signing D'Andre Swift, Kevin Byard, and Gerald Everett, but many fans were wondering when the team would spend the rest of the nearly $60 million in cap space that was burning a hole in Virginia McCaskey's pocket on a big move.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles, just as he did last year in dealing the No. 1 pick to the Carolina Panthers, proved that Bears fans need to follow the advice of their former arch-enemy Aaron Rodgers and R-E-L-A-X, because he's got things under control.

Poles added to the Bears' receiver room in a huge way on Thursday, and it didn't cost him much to do it, sending a fourth-round pick to the Chargers for six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen. Allen will join DJ Moore to form a potent 1-2 combo that will arguably be the best route-running duo in the NFL.

There are still quality players available via free agency and the trade market, so Poles may have more tricks up his sleeve, especially if he is able to consummate a deal for incumbent quarterback Justin Fields in the coming days. Even though the market seems to be cooler than initially anticipated for Fields, most people around the NFL still expect Poles to trade the former first-round pick to make room for a rookie quarterback, likely USC's Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick.

What draft picks do the Bears still have after the Keenan Allen trade?

Let's take a look at what the Bears still have to work with when April's draft rolls around. This list is subject to change, as Chicago could receive draft capital back in return for Fields if a trade gets done.

The quality of Chicago's picks is undoubtedly high, but as we can see, there aren't very many of them. That's because Poles hasn't been afraid to trade draft picks in the interest of immediately improving the team. He famously dealt the Bears' upcoming second-round pick for Commanders defensive end Montez Sweat in the middle of last season, and just last week dealt a fifth-rounder to the Bills for offensive lineman Ryan Bates. The team's sixth- and seventh-round picks were dealt for Dolphins lineman Dan Feeney and Patriots receiver N'Keal Harry, neither of whom became contributors.

With the addition of Allen, it will be interesting to see what the Bears do with the ninth pick, as they've been rumored to be interested in drafting a receiver in that spot. Chicago could pivot to offensive tackle or defensive end, or Poles could trade down to re-fortify his depleted war chest of picks. He could even double-down on the Allen move and go receiver anyway to give the Bears a trio of outstanding options in the passing game. Whichever way he opts to go, Bears fans should feel good that Ryan Poles has this team moving in the right direction.