Bears' Rooting Guide for 2022 NFL Draft Implications of Week 15

The playoffs are out of reach for the Chicago Bears as they come out of their bye week, but a top-three draft pick is on the line every time they take the field.

The first season of the Matt Eberflus era has not featured many wins. At 3-10, the Bears are worse than they were last season.

Some of that is by design, though. Chicago's offseason was spent offloading several veterans and clearing future cap space. The Bears went young at several key positions while saying goodbye to veterans like Khalil Mack, Allen Robinson II and Akiem Hicks.

But hope comes in the form of 2023. The Bears are slated to have more cap space than anyone next offseason ($122.1 million). They could also be in good shape draft-wise.

With a top-three pick, the Bears could either draft a difference-maker to build around or trade down with a team willing to pay up for one of the top quarterbacks.

While it might be hard to root for the Bears to continue losing, it doesn't hurt to root for other outcomes that would secure a high pick for Chicago.

1. Houston Texans

2. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver)

3. Chicago Bears

4. Detroit Lions (from LA Rams)

5. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans)

6. Arizona Cardinals

7. Indianapolis Colts

8. Las Vegas Raiders

9. Carolina Panthers

10. Atlanta Falcons

11. Jacksonville Jaguars

12. Houston Texans (from Cleveland)

13. Pittsburgh Steelers

14. Green Bay Packers

15. Detroit Lions

16. Los Angeles Chargers

17. Seattle Seahawks

18. New York Jets

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

20. Tenessee Titans

21. New England Patriots

22. Washington Commanders

23. New York Giants

24. Denver Broncos (from SF via MIA)

25. Baltimore Ravens

26. Cincinnati Bengals

27. Dallas Cowboys

28. Kansas City Chiefs

29. Minnesota Vikings

30. Buffalo Bills

31. Philadelphia Eagles

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Draft order via Tankathon. Miami's pick (currently 24 overall) will be forfeited for tampering.

The Bears sat out Week 14, but they still saw their draft stock improve. Last week, they had just a 3.5 percent chance to wind up with the No. 1 pick based on ESPN's projections.

Those odds rose to 8.5 percent after the Texans gave the Dallas Cowboys a scare.

For now, the Bears are sitting at No. 3 by virtue of a tiebreaker. Their schedule has been more difficult than the 3-10 Denver Broncos'. They are set to earn the No. 2 selection, which is actually owned by the Seattle Seahawks as part of the Russell Wilson trade.

However, ESPN's projections believe that the Bears will ultimately leapfrog the Broncos and pick No. 2.

That could be a significant upgrade for Chicago. C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young are widely considered to be the top two quarterbacks available in the draft.

If the Bears are able to secure the second pick, they could have several suitors bidding (with multiple first-round picks) to move into position to take a passer.

The further down the board the Bears fall, the less likely a bidding war ensues.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

The mess that is the NFC South is beneficial to Chicago. The 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently in first place, which means even the 4-9 New Orleans Saints are still in play to win the division.

It's in the best interest of the Bears for everyone to stay in that race as long as possible to remain competitive.

The Falcons aren't much better than the Saints at 5-8, so this game feels like a toss-up. The Saints evening things up with the Falcons, combined with a Buccaneers loss to the Bengals, would keep both teams just one game behind Tampa Bay.

The Saints beat the Falcons in Week 1, so the result is definitely in play.

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Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

This is a matchup of teams vying for draft positioning themselves. The Broncos have less to play for because they don't actually own their pick, but they will still be picking near the top of the second round if things hold.

The Cardinals have little to play for at this point. Kyler Murray's torn ACL is just the finishing blow to a season that has not gone well in the desert.

Colt McCoy will take over as the team's QB1. While he isn't the most dangerous quarterback, he is 3-2 as a starter for the Cardinals. So there's hope they will be able to scratch out a few wins over the final weeks and remain behind the Bears in the draft order.

For now, this is a good opportunity for the Broncos to pick up a win and give the Bears a clearer path to the No. 2 pick.

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Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay Packers (Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET)

The Monday Night Football matchup is a bit of a dud if you are worried about the playoff picture, but it's a significant one in figuring out the draft order.

The 4-9 Rams will travel to Green Bay to face the 5-8 Packers in the Unmet Expectations Bowl. Last year, these were two of the top teams in the NFC, but neither has come close to that level this season.

For the Bears, it's best to root for the Rams as they are still just one game behind Chicago. Fortunately, the arrival of Baker Mayfield appeared to give them a spark last week, as he orchestrated a 98-yard drive to beat the Las Vegas Raiders in the final seconds on Thursday Night Football.

After a rough departure from Cleveland and a disappointing run with the Carolina Panthers, tanking will be the last thing on his mind Monday night.

That's good news for the Bears.