Keep an eye on Justin Fields. The Bears could find themselves in an enviable position if their third-year quarterback continues to throw the ball like he has in his last two games.

They are currently set to hold two of the first three picks in the 2024 draft — the first overall, from the 0-5 Panthers, and their own at No. 3. While Fields’ recent play suggests they will win more games — maybe even on Sunday, against the Justin Jefferson-less Vikings — there have been few signs of life in Carolina.

It doesn’t seem farfetched to project that the Bears will be able to add USC’s Caleb Williams (or North Carolina’s Drake Maye) while trading Fields to a quarterback-needy team lacking the draft capital to grab a top quarterback.

This is a crucial season for Fields’ standing, and it didn’t start well. He passed for only 526 yards and three touchdowns in his first three games but followed that with games against Denver and Washington that spotlighted his ability as a passer.

Fields threw for four touchdown passes in both games, joining Jay Cutler as the only Chicago quarterbacks to ever throw four-plus TD passes in consecutive games. He was a combined 43-for-64 for 617 yards in those games even though he took seven sacks, running that total to 20 through five games.

Fields’ connection with D.J. Moore is showing the wisdom of adding the No. 1 receiver in the deal that sent last year’s first overall pick to Carolina. Moore has 16 catches for 361 yards and four touchdowns the last two games, raising Fields’ passer rating to 158.3 when he targets him.

Pro Football Focus currently ranks Fields as the No. 16 quarterback, between Houston rookie C.J. Stroud and Denver’s Russell Wilson. His 66.8 passing grade ranks 20th, and represents progress over his one-dimensional play in his first two seasons.

Fields, who ranked seventh with 1143 rushing yards in 2022, was graded out 23rd overall by PFF after finishing his rookie season 29th in their grades. The consistent progress suggests he’ll at least have his fifth-year option exercised if he doesn’t land a long-term extension.

But the Bears would have to really love Fields to stick with him if they could select Williams, who has drawn comparisons to Patrick Mahomes. There’s a financial incentive to go with a younger contract.

The difference between a rookie contract and the going rate for a proven veteran goes a long way in surrounding the quarterback with talent.

It’s hard to say what the Bears could get in a trade for Fields but they could wind up with multiple teams being interested, assuming Fields continues to solidify his promise as a complete player. Atlanta, Dallas, Seattle, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay are among the teams that could be looking to upgrade at quarterback without the benefit of a top-15 draft pick.

It’s possible Fields could be traded before the Oct. 31 deadline if a team like the Jets or Falcons believe he can help make them a serious contender this season.

New England landed only a second-round pick when it traded Jimmy Garoppolo to San Francisco in 2017 but Garoppolo had been stuck behind Tom Brady. The New York Jets’ trade of Sam Darnold in 2021 may be a better precedent as Darnold had started 38 games over three seasons for the Jets. That trade return was a second-, fourth- and sixth-round pick.

The Bears could decide they want to continue to build behind Fields, or course. That would allow them to use their two first-round picks to select Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and someone like Georgia receiver Brock Bowers and UCLA edge rusher Laiatu Latu.

But it would be tough to pass on Williams if they wind up with the first overall pick. The challenge then would be to convince Williams to come to Chicago rather than to try an end-around that would get him somewhere else.