The Chicago Bears won’t hold the #1 overall pick this year. That means they will be at the mercy of other teams before getting to make their first pick in the draft. This is hardly anything new. Most teams have to deal with this reality. GM Ryan Poles’ job is to determine how the first nine picks of the 1st round will likely unfold before making his decision with the 10th pick. Last year, Poles felt the team had good fortune on their side when Rome Odunze slipped to the 9th pick. He will need similar breaks to land somebody he might be coveting this year.
It appears the Bears might be in luck. Reports already indicated at least two quarterbacks will go in the top 10 this year. Cam Ward of Miami will be the first off the board, and Shadeur Sanders will be right behind him. It’d be great if another QB went somewhere in that range, but it seems unlikely. The next hope is that certain players at other positions the Bears don’t need go there. One name that looked like a fringe possibility is Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. A recent update from his pro day certainly strengthened his case.
The big fear with the young receiver was whether he had the speed necessary for the NFL level. Many believed he would time somewhere in the 4.6 range. Reaching the low 4.5s or even high 4.4s indicates he does have a high enough gear to create some separation to go along with his outstanding work as a physical possession guy. Experts have compared him to Atlanta’s Drake London, who ran a 4.5 in college. London went 8th overall when he was drafted. He just went for 1200 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
That should give teams the confidence that McMillan can follow the same path. Jacksonville, Las Vegas, New York, Carolina, and New Orleans all have a need for wide receivers. The Chicago Bears only need one of them to pull the trigger on him. That would improve the odds of a top pass rusher, left tackle, running back Ashton Jeanty, or tight end Tyler Warren slipping to the 10th spot. As always, the draft is unpredictable.
