The Chicago Bears have all but decided what they will do with the top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The question is, with many options available, what do they do with the ninth pick?
The Chicago Bears wrapped up one of the busiest months in team history. They added weapons and protection for the quarterback, altered the running game, and replaced a former All-Pro at safety.
Speaking of quarterbacks, they also traded the popular incumbent and it appears they all but decided who to choose with the top pick in April’s NFL Draft. It looks like the Bears will select USC quarterback Caleb Williams. General Manager Ryan Poles is betting that Williams will be the “generational” quarterback many people feel he is.
The question now is what the team does with the ninth pick. This pick is their own as a result of their 2023 record. This could be a critical pick. Poles has a lot of options to choose from. There are quite a few prospects there who could help transform the team.
Poles needs to decide whether he wants to continue to help Williams or attempts to bring in help for the defense. While Williams may be a great quarterback, he won’t be able to win games if the defense cannot stop the opponents from scoring.
This is a big decision for Poles. His future with the Chicago Bears may depend on it.
Let’s take a look at some options the Chicago Bears have with the ninth pick.
Pick an edge rusher
Poles could try to strengthen the defense and protect another big acquisition. Last season, he traded for defensive end Montez Sweat. He traded one of his 2024 draft picks, a second-rounder. He then signed Sweat to a four-year, $98 million extension.
Sweat rewarded the Bears by almost single-handedly transforming the defense. He helped the defense put pressure on the quarterback, which helped the secondary. The Chicago Bears led the league in interceptions in 2023.
However, we saw what the future could hold for Sweat if Poles does not get him some help. In the regular season finale against the Green Bay Packers, Sweat had to go through a maze of blockers slowing his path to the backfield.
Because no one on the other side protected Sweat, the Packers neutralized him. Quarterback Jordan Love carved out the Chicago Bears’ secondary. He went 27-32 for 316 yards and 2 touchdowns. Additionally, Aaron Jones had 141 yards from scrimmage.
After Poles did so much to bring help for Williams, Sweat needs some attention now. The Chicago Bears are paying Sweat a pretty penny so they need that investment to work out. We saw what happened when Khalil Mack was in Chicago. He went through the same thing and had some struggles getting to the quarterback. He also dealt with injuries.
Alabama’s Dallas Turner and Florida State’s Jared Verse could be available at nine. If Poles uses the pick, he should ideally pick up one of these edge rushers. A lot is on the line, literally and figuratively, and Poles needs to protect Sweat almost as much as Williams.
Pick a wide receiver
People fully expect Poles to pick up a wide receiver in this draft. While he picked up Keenan Allen and (ugh!) Dante Pettis, these two are likely not in the Chicago Bears’ long-term future. Pettis will be more of a special teams specialist. He has not done much as a wide receiver in his career.
Yes, Allen is a multiple Pro Bowl player. However, he will turn 32 before training camp and is in the final season of his contract. He already stated that he thought of retirement. Also, he has been injury-prone his entire career. Now that he is getting older, things will get worse.
This year’s wide receiver class is deep. The Chicago Bears can find a good wide receiver later in the draft. If Poles is looking for one who can make the biggest impact, though, he needs to use it with this pick. He was reportedly enamored with LSU’s Malik Nabers. There is also Rome Odunze.
Those two prospects could grow with Williams and form a bond. They are elite prospects who will make an impact in the NFL. Additionally, there is fan-favorite Marvin Harrison Jr. However, he will likely be the first wide receiver chosen and won’t be there at nine.
Pick a tight end
If Poles goes with a tight end it would be a surprise. However, it could happen under one circumstance — if Georgia’s Brock Bowers is there.
Talking about generational talents, imagine if the Chicago Bears ended up with generational talents at quarterback and tight end. Bowers draws comparisons to Rob Gronkowski. He can make an impact as big as any wide receiver.
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In his career, Bowers is the SEC’s all-time leader for tight ends in catches (175), receiving yards (2,538), and receiving touchdowns (26). All of those figures were also the most at the position across the nation from 2021-23.
Brock Bowers had more yards after the catch than Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, Ricky Pearsall, and Brian Thomas Jr. during the 2023 season.
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Bowers contributed heavily to Georgia’s dominance in the past three seasons. The Bulldogs went 42-2 during his tenure there and won two national championships. Now he is hunting Super Bowl titles.
The Bears picked up Gerald Everett to pair with Cole Kmet. Adding Bowers to the mix gives Williams insane and big targets. The Chicago Bears would have the most dynamic and athletic tight-end unit in the league.
As mentioned, this pick should only be made if Bowers is available at nine. Other tight ends could help later in the draft. Bowers, however, is a must-have if he is available.
Pick an offensive tackle
If Poles wants to ensure Williams succeeds, he may want to pick up a blind-side protector. The Chicago Bears have Braxton Jones at left tackle. If the team is serious about having an elite protector, then Poles can find it at nine.
Jones still has trouble with bull rushes and his footwork can be spotty. Finding an elite left tackle is crucial to help the quarterback. Additionally, having elite tackles on each side is a huge asset for the quarterback and the running backs.
If Notre Dame’s Joe Alt is available it would be difficult for Poles to ignore. He is as close to a perfect prospect as you can see. At 6-foot-9, 321 pounds he has great size. His athletic ability at that size is crazy. A man that big should not be able to be that athletic.
Alt is great in both pass and run blocking and has a mean streak you want in your linemen.
Olu Fashanu is an elite pass blocker. As soon as he hits the field he could be considered one of the top pass blockers in the league. He played on 697 pass-blocking snaps and yielded zero sacks. He needs to clean up a little as a run blocker, but once he does he will be a Pro Bowl offensive lineman for years to come.
Taliese Fuaga has no trouble with run blocking. His 90.9 run-blocking grade by Pro Football Focus in 2023 was over four points higher than any other tackle in the nation. Pass blocking wasn’t a problem either. In that area, he ranked in the 85th percentile among tackles.
Trade the pick
The ninth pick is valuable. Poles could decide to trade it and acquire a lot more picks. With his wheeling and dealing, he has only four picks left in the draft. Two of them are top-ten picks. Sure, he could trade one or both of his other picks (one in the third round and another in the fourth).
Poles could pick up more valuable picks with the ninth pick. Trading down from three and four will help the Chicago Bears pick up mid to late-round picks. With the way he has been swinging for the fences this offseason, trading the ninth pick would continue that.
The chances that Poles gets better prospects are higher if he trades the ninth pick. He can not only pick up more picks this year but also future picks.
We saw how trading the top pick in last year’s draft brought in a lot of picks. The Chicago Bears ended up with D.J. Moore, Darnell Wright, and Tyrique Stevenson. They also received this year’s number-one pick. In addition, they have an extra second-round pick in 2025.
Keeping a good pipeline of draft picks is important. Yes, it gives the Bears opportunities to find good young prospects. Additionally, it allows Poles to make deals for veterans who could help quickly.
Because of the picks available, Poles was able to pick up Sweat, Allen, and offensive lineman Ryan Bates.
Let’s see what Poles decides to do with the ninth pick. Many Chicago Bears fans are already happy with his moves so far this offseason. Hopefully, they receive more good news to make them even happier.