Former Chicago radio personality floats a bold draft trade idea

Even after leaving 104.3 The Score, former radio host Danny Parkins remains connected to the Chicago sports scene. He makes a weekly regular appearance on “Spiegel and Holmes”, a show he once co-hosted with Matt Spielgel. Parkins, who now hosts “First Things First” on FS1, made waves this week when he returned to the station. He suggested a move that instantly lit up Bears Twitter. Specifically, he said Chicago should call the New York Jets and trade up to No. 16.

Bears get: No. 16 overall
Jets get: No. 25 overall and No. 60 overall

Is that a trade the Bears should do? @DannyParkins believes it would make good sense for Chicago to move up in this hypothetical if a really good edge rusher is available. pic.twitter.com/YFnWRenbKw

— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) April 22, 2026

Parkins’ logic is that if the Bears want a true difference‑maker on defense, especially someone with the upside of Miami(FL) defensive lineman Rueben Bain Jr., they can’t sit back and hope he magically falls into their lap outside the top 10.

Will the Chicago Bears make a trade tonight?

Parkins’ suggestion isn’t wild. It’s just bold — and boldness is something the Bears have not always embraced when it comes to roster construction.

This year’s draft is not loaded with blue‑chip players. ESPN draft expert Matt Miller said he only has 12 players with the first-round grade. It’s a draft where the top tier is small, and the middle is muddy. Furthermore, the back half of the first round looks more like a cluster of second‑round grades.

In that kind of landscape, the few premium defenders stand out even more. Bain is one of them despite receiving scrutiny over his short arm length. Nevertheless, his explosiveness, power, and versatility make him the type of player who usually doesn’t last long on draft night.

Parkins’ proposal forces the Bears to confront a simple question: Are they willing to pay the price for a difference‑maker? Or are they hoping the board bails them out?

Trading up to 16, or even higher, means giving up capital in a year where the Bears already need to maximize every pick. It means betting that Bain is worth the leap in a class where the talent margin is razor-thin. Additionally, it means acknowledging that sitting at their current spot and hoping for a gift is not a strategy; it is wishful thinking.

And even if Bain is long gone, the Bears might still move up if the guy they want is still available, regardless of the position. There are rumors that as many as 10 offensive linemen could go in the first round. Will the Bears, who are already linked to prospects like Alabama’s Kayden Proctor and Utah’s Caleb Lomu, decide to nab them ahead of teams that also need offensive linemen?

Or instead of trading up, they trade down and accumulate more Day 2 or 3 picks, a move that has been rumored for weeks and might make more sense if the top tier dries up early.

One way or another, the Bears fans will find out tonight.

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