It feels like the Chicago Bears have a firm idea of what they will do with the #1 pick in the NFL draft next month. Almost everybody with insider credibility suspects GM Ryan Poles will select a quarterback, and Caleb Williams of USC is the betting favorite. There could still be a swerve, perhaps involving a trade with Washington to swap spots. However, the widespread sense is the Bears are taking a quarterback. The problem is they aren’t out of the picture after that. There is more work to do with the 9th overall pick.
It gets tricky at that point. There are any number of directions Poles could go. He could trade the pick as he did last year, hoping to secure more draft capital. Or he can stay put and try to secure another blue-chip talent for his roster. Given the overall strength of this class, the latter feels more likely. The obvious question is which position they will focus on. Draft insider Charlie Campbell of Walter Football has heard two positions are dominating the conversations at Halas Hall, though a third is definitely possible.
“With the ninth overall pick, Chicago is in a great position to really upgrade its roster. There hasn’t been much attention on the No. 9 slot, but in speaking to sources with Chicago, the team has some specific positions in mind. Primarily, the Bears have in mind to target an edge rusher or wide receiver at the ninth pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. An offensive tackle is also an option if they fall in love with a player.
Through the draft and/or free agency, the Bears want to add a pass rusher to go with Montez Sweat and a wide receiver to go with D.J. Moore.”
As things stand, this isn’t a big surprise. The Bears have two glaring holes on their roster outside of quarterback. They are at wide receiver and edge rusher. D.J. Moore and Montez Sweat were terrific last season, but the team couldn’t take full advantage of their excellence because of a lack of depth. Darnell Mooney had the worst season of his career. Rookie Tyler Scott didn’t make much progress. Yannick Ngakoue suffered a season-ending injury. Both positions could really use another playmaker.
The first step in this situation comes in free agency. Chicago has almost $80 million in cap space. They have more than enough money to take a big swing at either position. If they land a big name at pass rusher or receiver, it will likely dictate what they do at #9 overall. Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Dallas Turner, and Jared Verse should be the names involved for that pick when Ryan Poles is back on the clock. Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, and JC Latham are also tackles who could be options as well.
