After an absolute fleecing of the Carolina Panthers, the Chicago Bears hold the 1st overall pick for the 2nd straight year. Last year, the Bears traded the Panthers the 1st overall pick that they used to select QB Bryce Young. In return, the Bears received veteran, All-Pro WR D.J Moore and a ton of draft capital that also included this year’s number one pick.
The Bears finished the 2023-2024 season with an overall record of 7-10. They ended the year on a high note winning the four of the last six games. They have a young and talented roster heading into this year’s draft but still have a few important holes to fill. The Bears currently hold the 1st and 9th overall pick in the 1st round, the number 75th pick in the 3rd round and lastly, the 122nd pick in the 4th round.
Some outlying needs for the team include a QB, WR, OL, and DL. The media is pretty much dead set on Caleb Williams being selected 1st overall by the Bears. For me, I would agree that it’s pretty much a done deal, but we are talking about the Chicago Bears here… General Manager Ryan Poles and his team have been pretty good at keeping a tight lip for this year’s draft. Last year, Poles shook the league by trading the 1st overall pick to the Panthers and not many can claim they predicted that one happening. Before diving into strategy, we’ll take a quick look at some of the team’s rankings from last year.
Last year, the Bears ranked 16th in Opposing Points Per Game, 12th in Opposing Yards Per Game, 25th in Opposing Passing Yards per Game, and 1st in Opposing Rushing Yards per Game, 29th in 3rd Down Defense %, and 31st in Sacks.
As for the offense, the Bears ranked 18th in Points Per Game, 2nd in Rushing Yards Per Game, 26th in Passing Yards Per Game, 12th in 3rd Down Conversion %, and 25th in Sacks allowed with 50.
The Bears made a recent splash this offseason by acquiring Keenan Allen from the L.A Chargers in exchange for a 4th round pick in this year’s draft. They already have D.J Moore as their WR1. They also drafted speedy slot Tyler Scott out of Cincinnati in the 4th round last year. They will need to add some youth to the WR room. Last season, Allen had one of his best statistical years. However, he will turn 32 this year and has faced numerous injuries over his 11 NFL seasons. I believe this year’s NFL draft has the deepest WR class in the last 50 years. If I were Chicago, I would consider trading the 9th overall pick and moving back in the 1st round in exchange for more picks. Prospects such as Xavier Worthy, Xavier Legette, Keon Coleman, and Roman Wilson are all great options for a late 1st round and 2nd round.
Chicago ranked in the bottom tier in both sacking opposing QBs and letting their own QB get sacked. They have to prioritize protecting their new coveted QB whether that is Caleb Williams, JJ McCarthy or Jayden Daniels. Look for Chicago to add an interior linemen or center with their 3rd or 4th rounder. I see a few scenarios playing out for them with their 9th overall pick:
Scenario #1: Shore up the D-Line
Picking Jared Verse or Laiatu Latu with the 9th overall pick. Both edge rushers are premier 1st round talent. With a few QB needy teams, Chicago might have one of them fall into their lap at #9. They could also get lucky, drop back a few spots, gain more picks, and still draft Verse or Latu. The Bears were almost dead last in sacks even with the mid-season addition of elite edge rusher, Montez Sweat. They’ll need star power on the other side opposite of Sweat if they are looking to go on the defensive side with this pick.
Scenario #2: Elite WR at #9
Many mock drafts see Chicago taking LSU star wide-out Malik Nabers or Washington’s Rome Odunze. If they go this route, they are hoping to keep their offense elite and young as they will also be adding the top QB in this year’s draft to pair with either of those receivers. There is current buzz that there is an outside shot that OSU’s Marvin Harrison Jr. drops to #9 but we can only dream, right?
Scenario #3: Trading Back/Acquire More Picks
The Bears only have 4 draft picks this year. Trading back to a team who needs a QB like the Raiders, Broncos or even the Vikings, could guarantee the Bears a few draft picks this draft and next year’s draft. We could see QB’s fly off the board from picks 1-10. If we do, one of those teams could pay a premium to get a top 5 QB prospect.
Ryan Poles and his team will have to make some difficult decisions come draft time. Poles will be active so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him move a pick or two in order to gain some draft capital. I would like to see them add some talent at the defensive end position. Due to the depth at WR position this draft, there could be a lot of gems that come out of rounds 2-5 if they choose not to go WR at #9. Below are my final hierarchy of needs for the Bears this draft:
Tier 1 Prospects:
QB: Caleb Williams – USC
QB: Jayden Daniels – LSU
QB: Drake Maye – UNC
QB: J.J McCarthy – Michigan
Edge: Jared Verse – FSU
Edge: Laiatu Latu – UCLA
Edge: Dallas Turner – Alabama
Edge: Chop Robinson – Penn State