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The Chicago Bears are still the center of attention when it comes to the NFL draft, but one NFL insider believes the team will surprise everyone by selecting at No. 9.
After quarterback, the positions of left tackle and pass-rusher are perhaps the most crucial, and Chicago will address both at No. 1 regardless of their choice: either they move off the selection and commit to Fields for the long haul, or they draft a replacement for Justin Fields.
Therefore, it makes sense to assume that the Bears will target the quarterback’s blind side, whoever that guy may be, or attempt to stymie the opposing quarterback’s flow by selecting a game-ending player off the edge.
However, ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. believes Chicago will zig where most expect the franchise to zag and select wide receiver Rome Odunze out of Washington with the 9th pick.
Rome Odunze Offers Complement to DJ Moore if Bears Draft QB Caleb Williams
Kiper’s thinking is tied to his projection that the Bears will draft quarterback Caleb Williams out of USC and look to immediately supplement his surrounding group of pass-catchers
Chicago likely will take a hard look at the edge rushers in this class to try to find a starter to play on the other side of Montez Sweat. … [Dallas] Turner could have been a fit, and I also thought about Laiatu Latu (UCLA), who is the best pure pass-rusher in this class. But with the Bears’ second top-10 pick, I want to slot in a playmaker for the new quarterback I gave them at No. 1.
Odunze had 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns for the Huskies in 2023. He played out wide and inside — 30 of his catches came from lining up in the slot — and ran every route in the receiving tree. This would be tremendous value for Odunze, who is No. 5 overall on my board. He could be the 1B to DJ Moore, who had a great first season in Chicago. And with Williams throwing them the ball, the Bears’ offense would be extremely dynamic.
Bears Have Solid Tackle in Braxton Jones, Invested Heavily in Montez Sweat
Another argument for Chicago taking Odunze is that the team appears to have found a viable starter at left tackle in Braxton Jones.
fifth-round draft pick in 2022 finished last season as the 35th-ranked tackle out of 83 players who saw enough snaps to quality at the position, per Pro Football Reference. PFF attributed just 2 sacks to Jones in 2023. He was also responsible for only 9 penalties across 724 snaps.
Beyond that, the Bears just spent the equivalent of a Day 2 to acquire Sweat, dealing their second-round selection to the Commanders at the 2023 trade deadline to land the defensive end. The team needs more help at the position, but Chicago just invested $98 million over four years to extend Sweat and can justify rounding out the offense after an expensive year on the defensive side of the football.
