Broncos and Bears is an early “battle” for path to No. 1 overall pick

The Broncos and Bears game on Sunday might be the joke of the NFL world, but it’s actually huge.

Seriously.

The loser of this one will have a much better path toward the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Both Denver and Chicago sit at 0-3, along with Carolina and Minnesota.

According to the popular website “Tankathon,” right now the Bears would have the top selection with the Broncos picking No. 2. The Vikings are third and the Panthers fourth, but remember that Carolina’s pick also goes to Chicago.

It’s depressing to have this conversation in September, but coming off a historically bad 70-20 loss to the Dolphins, it’s where we’re at. A large portion of Broncos Country seems ready to embrace the tank, and finally rip this thing down and rebuild.

Sure, if Denver beats Chicago and then takes down the Jets without Aaron Rodgers they’ll be 2-3, but what good does that do? They plays the Chiefs twice in three weeks after that, plus the Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 10 after the bye.

The absolute best the Broncos could be is 3-6 if they defeat the Bears, Jets and Packers. This team just isn’t beating Kansas City or Buffalo after what we saw them do in Miami.

So, wouldn’t it be better to lose to Chicago, New York and Green Bay? Or at least lose two of those three? 1-8 feels a lot safer for steamrolling toward the No. 1 pick than 3-6.

Again, this is horribly depressing to be outlining these scenarios, but it’s the reality of the situation. The defense has taken a massive step back under Vance Joseph, and Sean Payton ripping Nathaniel Hackett’s coaching job has backfired in a big way.

If the Broncos are to get the No. 1 overall pick for the first time in franchise history, this weekend in Chicago is going to play a pivotal role. And sadly, a loss is probably best for a team that needs to start thinking about the big picture.

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