NEWSLETTER
As part of his latest NFL Draft notebook, CBS Sports NFL insider Jonathan Jones shares what he has heard about the Chicago Bears plan on doing with the No. 9 pick.
“Sources around the league seem to believe the Chicago Bears will go one of two ways with the No. 9 pick: pass rusher or wide receiver.”
Seeing Jones reports this stands out because it pushes me to notice that this is just the latest example of a reporter narrowing down the Bears’ top choices for how to use the No. 9 pick. Especially since this also vibes with The MMQB’s Albert Breer is reporting about the Bears targeting one of the top three receiver prospects or a defensive lineman with the No. 9 pick. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport seems to be hearing similar things.
A trend is a friend this time of year. At a minimum, it should not be ignored when league reporters and insiders start sharing info like this because it could be a sign of things to come.
And for the Bears, going the wide receiver or pass rusher route with the ninth pick in the upcoming NFL Draft would make a ton of sense.
Drafting a wide receiver with the ninth overall pick would allow the rookie to develop without a ton of pressure on their shoulders because of the presence of Keenan Allen and DJ Moore. Plus, it would count as another sign of how this team is taking seriously its offseason plan to build around a quarterback. On top of that, Jones makes note that the Bears taking a receiver would be another show of how serious they are about showing quarterback Caleb Williams they are serious about building an offense around him. In short, there are plenty of good reasons to take the best receiver available at this spot.
On the other hand, it would be a logical leap to take if Chicago was going to snag a pass rusher. After all, shouldn’t the gang on the defensive side of the ball get a new anchor? We watched the Bears spend a chunk of time, energy, and resources on re-tooling the offense. But because they did, I can see defensive coaches pound the table asking Bears General Manager Ryan Poles to take a game-wrecking player to place into the defensive end vacancy opposite of Montez Sweat.
In other words, the Bears are in a great position to take an awesome prospect with pick No. 9 in the 2024 NFL Draft. Splendid! Now … who are they going to choose? Let’s discuss…
Here are the Chicago Bears best options at pick No. 9
Now that we’re starting to get a clearer picture of the Bears’ direction with the No. 9 pick, let’s open ourselves to some options.
And for good measure, here is The Athletic’s Dane Brugler saying that the Bears drafting Byron Murphy II “a very realistic scenario” if the top three receivers go off the board before Chicago goes on the clock:
Defensive end Jared Verse: Another one of the top defensive end prospects in this class, the Florida State standout reportedly met with the Bears. Verse’s name has come up a bunch in connection with Chicago’s football team.
Trading up would be fun. Moving back is something that could create enough draft capital to make it worth sliding out of the top 10. But even if the Bears were to not find a trade partner, sticking with the No. 9 pick would be just fine with me. And if the team decides to use the selection to reel in a pass-rusher or wide receiver, then I would understand. Heck, I would probably be enthusiastic about it based on who projects to be on the board at those positions.
There are only two days until the 2024 NFL Draft. It promises to be a wild one.
