Once the NFL draft reached the 5th overall pick, there was a tense atmosphere inside Halas Hall. GM Ryan Poles, head coach Matt Eberflus, and the rest of the war room knew one thing: They wanted Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. He was the perfect blend of talent and character to fit their vision for the franchise. The problem was the next few picks could see him land in multiple spots. Word came out recently that Poles feared the New York Giants might take him. They weren’t going for a new quarterback, so a wide receiver to help Daniel Jones was the obvious play.
Their two options were Malik Nabers of LSU and Odunze. Marvin Harrison Jr. of Ohio State had already gone to Arizona. Co-director of player personnel Jeff King was confident Nabers was the pick. Time would eventually prove him correct. However, it turns out there was another team Poles was nervous about. The Bears were confident the Los Angeles Chargers would take a tackle at #5. That meant it was either Joe Alt of Notre Dame or JC Latham of Alabama. If the Chargers went with Latham, assistant GM Ian Cunningham was confident the Tennessee Titans would take Alt at #7.
However, if the Chargers went with Alt, he worried there was a possibility the Titans would trade down. That would enable someone to jump in front of the Bears for Odunze. Everything was caught on camera during the latest episode of 1920 Football Drive.
There was still a possibility they might trade down as well, but the Bears seemed pretty confident that was unlikely. That is why their calculations gave them a 77% chance of landing Odunze after Tennessee selected Latham. Once Michael Penix went to the Falcons, the room erupted in cheers and handshakes. Team president Kevin Warren praised Poles for staying patient and not sacrificing any extra assets to go after the guy he wanted. The Bears GM trusted his information and landed his new quarterback another weapon.
That entire video is an incredible look into how teams function during a draft. Everybody is nervous. It is a constant whirlwind of communication, talking through endless scenarios and figuring out what to do if this or that happens. From the start, the Bears’ Plan A was Williams and Odunze. Thankfully, the board fell exactly as they hoped it would. It would’ve been interesting to see what Poles might’ve done if the wide receiver was gone.
