Laying out the options for the Bears at #9
After acquiring wide receiver Keenan Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers in a trade, the Chicago Bears have a multitude of options to consider with their No. 9 overall pick.
Before adding Allen, the consensus among Bears faithful was to use the No.9 pick to draft either Washington WR Rome Odunze or Louisiana State WR Malik Nabers to give new quarterback Caleb Willams (of Southern California) another weapon on offense. However, after the Chargers moved both Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, the chances are high that Nabers and Odunze will be gone by No. 9. If both receivers are gone by the Bears' second pick in the first round, attention will need to shift toward the team's other areas of need.
Draft an Offensive Linemen
Photo Credit: Scott Wallen. Chicago Bears
The offensive line is one position group the Bears could improve with the No.9 pick. The Bears have a fairly young offensive line with emerging 22-year-old right tackle Darnell Wright, 24-year-old Braxton Jones, and 26-year-old Teven Jenkins. Veterans Colemen Shelton (28) and Nate Davis (27) are currently filling out the rest of the Bears' offensive line for 2024.
While age may not be a concern for the Bears' offensive line, health and performance definitely is. In 2023, the Bears' offensive line changed week to week because of injuries, which contributed to them giving up 50 sacks. The two linemen who missed the most time were Jenkins and Davis. Davis missed six games this past season, four from an ankle injury and two because of family-related matters. When Davis was on the field, his play didn't measure up to the $30 million contract the Bears gave him in the 2023 offseason.
Jenkins has probably been the Bears' best offensive lineman over the past three seasons, but he has missed time every season due to injuries. In total, Jenkins has missed 20 games over three seasons, and many of his injuries relate to the back/neck. It is not out of the realm of possibility that the Bears could be looking for a replacement for Jenkins, whose rookie deal is up after next season in this year's draft.
As the saying goes, the best ability is availability, which Jenkins has struggled with throughout his career. Thankfully, the top of this year's draft class has potential franchise linemen like Joe Alt and Troy Fautanu for the Bears to draft.
Draft an Edge Rusher
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With the Bears deciding not to make any moves during free agency for an edge rusher, they will need to target one in the draft. This is because, in the first eight games of last season, the Bears had the worst pass rush in the NFL. However, midway through the season, they acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders, which helped the pass rush a ton, but they still finished the season with 30 sacks, which was 31st in the NFL.
The first round of the NFL draft this year is filled with potential star edge rushers like Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Laiatu Latu of California - Los Angeles and Florida State’s Jared Verse. Although Turner is likely to be taken a pick before the Bears at No. 8 overall, they could still draft Latu or Verse.
In college, Latu proved he knew how to get to the quarterback, gaining 23.5 sacks in 25 games at UCLA. According to Mel Kiper, Latu’s elite pass-rushing skills and advanced technique helped him achieve almost a sack per game while at UCLA. Latu did have to medically retire for one season in college due to neck problems, but as long as he is medically cleared, he would be a huge get for the Bears to pair up with Sweat.
Verse is a more raw talent than Latu is, entering the NFL. Over two seasons at Florida State, Verse gained 18 sacks and showed quick get-off speed. He continued to impress scouts at the combine with his 35-inch vertical jump, 10- foot-7 broad jump, and 4.59 40-yard dash time. Even if Verse isn't as productive as Latu right away, he can get to a place where he can be dominant, opposite Sweat.
Trade back
Trading back might ultimately be what general manager Ryan Poles decides to do with the ninth pick. Poles values having draft picks immensely, and currently, the Bears only have two other picks, one in the third round and one in the fourth round in this draft. While the ninth pick won't require as big of a haul as the number one pick, the Bears can still gain some capital back by trading the pick. As long as they don't trade too far back in the first round, they would still be able to draft one of the positions listed above and be able to add even more talent later that could help the Bears make the playoffs this season.