The Chicago Bears are an American football franchise based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the National Football Conference North division in the National Football League. They participated in the first NFL draft in 1936 and selected Joe Stydahar, a tackle from West Virginia University. Stydahar went to have a stellar career with the franchise and is inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The team's most recent first round selection was Roquan Smith, an inside linebacker from Georgia. The Bears have not had first round selections a total of six times, most recently in 2010. The Bears have only selected the number one overall pick in the draft twice, choosing Tom Harmon in 1941 and Bob Fenimore in 1947. The team's six selections from the University of Texas are the most chosen by the Bears from one program. Nine of the first round selections have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Every year during April, each NFL franchise seeks to add new players to its roster through a collegiate draft known as "the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting", which is more commonly known as the NFL Draft. The NFL Draft, as a whole, gives the advantage to the teams that did poorly the previous season. The 30 teams that did not make the Super Bowl are ranked in order so the team with the worst record picks first and the team with the best record pick last. The two exceptions to this inverse order are made for teams that appeared in the previous Super Bowl; the Super Bowl champion selects 32nd overall, and the Super Bowl loser selects 31st overall. If the franchise so chooses, they may trade their draft picks for any combination of draft picks, players, and money.
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Player selections
Footnotes
Luckman was initially drafted by Pittsburgh Pirates but immediately traded to Bears. Prior to the 1938 season, the Chicago Bears made a trade with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this trade, Chicago took over the contract of end Ed Manske and Pittsburgh sent the rights to their pick in exchange.
Pick acquired from Green Bay through Los Angeles Rams and Detroit Lions. Bears, in exchange, sent 1976 10th overall pick and 68th overall pick to Lions.
Bears traded 1978 20th overall pick to Cleveland Browns for Mike Phipps.
Bears traded Wally Chambers to Tampa Bay Buccaneers for this pick and Bobby Moore.
Pick acquired from Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bears traded 1982 second round selection to Tampa Bay for a 1983 first round selection.
Bears acquired 1988 27th overall pick and 1989's 12th selection from the Washington Redskins as compensation for Washington signing free agent Wilbur Marshall.
Bears traded 1999 first round pick to the Washington Redskins for their 1999 first round pick, 1999 third round pick, 1999 fourth round pick, 1999 fifth round pick, and 2000 third round pick.
Bears traded their 2003 first round selection to the New York Jets for 2 2003 first round selections and 2003 fourth round pick. The Bears then traded 2003 13th overall pick to the New England Patriots for 2003 14th overall pick and a 2003 sixth round pick.
Bears traded 2006 first round pick to Buffalo Bills for 2006 second round pick, and 2006 third round pick.
Bears traded Kyle Orton, first round picks in 2009 and 2010, and 2009 3rd round pick to the Denver Broncos for Jay Cutler and a 2009 fifth round pick which was used by the Bears to select Johnny Knox.
