The Chicago Bears are seemingly set to select quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but they hold the No. 9 pick as well, and after the owner's meetings, general manager Ryan Poles has directed different groups of his staff to go through position groups like offensive tackle, defensive end and wide receiver, according to Courtney Cronin of ESPN.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus expressed confidence that his team would come away with a high-end player with the No. 9 pick.
“We're going to get a ‘blue' [the highest-rated prospect by how the team color codes its draft board] player there for sure,” Matt Eberflus said, via Cronin. “What we've done in free agency allows us to be flexible, to really be able to take the best player, the one we feel fits for us in that spot.”
Matt Eberflus is referencing several moves the Bears have made in free agency, which were made with the knowledge of a rookie quarterback coming in. Chicago will have flexibility, due to likely having Williams on a rookie contract. Poles spoke on the idea of making a trade with one of the four picks as well, and if it would feel stagnant to keep the four picks that the Bears currently have.
“This year it doesn't,” Poles said, via Cronin. “The way this is set up [with] some of the draft capital we've been able to create in the first two years, I feel pretty comfortable about it. It'll be boring if we don't do any trades, but I feel pretty good about where we're at.”
Ryan Poles brought in players like Keenan Allen this offseason, giving the Bears flexibility to just take the best player with the No. 9 pick, as Eberflus mentioned. Also as Eberflus mentioned, there is likely going to be a very good prospect available for Chicago to take in that slot that could help immediately.
Let's go into the players at each position who could be available for the Bears with the No. 9 pick.
Who could the Bears land with the No. 9 pick?
As mentioned before, Poles has his staff examining the offensive tackle, defensive end and wide receiver positions. There should be multiple options at each of those positions available with the No. 9 pick.
Let's start with offensive tackle. This might be the position in which the most options will be available for good value with the No. 9 pick. Joe Alt and Olu Fashanu are the bigger names who could be available, but it is possible that both go before pick No. 9. If both of those players are off of the board, then others like JC Latham or Taliese Fuaga could make sense.
When it comes to defensive end, it would make a lot of sense for the Bears to add someone on the opposite side of Montez Sweat. It would form one of the more dynamic pass rushing duos in the NFL if the Bears could hit on a high-end defensive end with the No. 9 pick. Dallas Turner from Alabama would likely be the consensus best available at the position who could be available, but others like Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu could be under consideration as well.
Wide receiver might be the least pressing need for the Bears out of these three positions, as Allen pairs well with DJ Moore. However, with Allen on the older side, it could still make sense to select a weapon at No. 9. The top two players in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers will likely be gone by the ninth pick, so it would likely take a trade up to get one of those two. But it is possible that Rome Odunze could fall to the No. 9 pick. If not, maybe someone like Brian Thomas Jr. could make sense at that slot.
The excitement for the Bears is rooted in the likely selection of Williams with the No. 1 pick, and rightfully so, given how he is viewed as a prospect. But it will be interesting to see who Chicago comes away with at the No. 9 spot.
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