Last year, nobody saw the Darnell Wright pick coming. Almost every top analyst around the NFL had the Chicago Bears targeting names like Jalen Carter, Paris Johnson, Tyree Wilson, and Peter Skoronski. Wright’s name never came up. However, one notable person proved an exception. Brad Spielberger, formerly of Pro Football Focus, had the Bears taking the big Tennessee tackle in his final mock draft last year. It proved to be the third-most accurate mock draft in the entire league media pool,
That served as proof that Spielberger might have solid enough connections to get a feel for how the 1st round might unfold this year. He appeared on the PFF NFL Podcast to discuss this recently. Based on his assessment, there is a strong likelihood that four quarterbacks and three wide receivers will go in the top eight of this draft, with an offensive tackle filling the other spot. His assessment of what the Bears do at #9 is straightforward from there.
“If it happens as we just did it (all three receivers are gone), I think Chicago is trading down with someone.”
Spielberger even mentioned this in his most recent mock draft. He believes GM Ryan Poles will stay for one of the receivers but likely looks to move down if they’re gone.
“The Bears should still run the pick in if Odunze or Malik Nabers falls to the No. 9 overall selection. Otherwise, we’re keeping an eye on a trade-down here if a team in the teens wants to come up for a tackle.”
Predicting Darnell Wright says we should pay attention to this.
If Spielberger’s projection is correct, he believes there will be a massive run on offensive players to start the draft. The quarterbacks and receivers are obvious. However, offensive tackles are also strong in this draft. That will push pass rushers and other defensive positions down the board. This would suit the Bears well since they have a glaring need at that spot. Justin Jones is gone. Yannick Ngakoue is gone. They badly need a second rusher to pair with Montez Sweat. If they can move down, grab an extra pick or two and get the #1 or #2 pass rusher on their board, that is a big win.
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This scenario likely narrows it down to one of three names: Alabama’s Dallas Turner, Florida State’s Jared Verse, and Texas’s Byron Murphy. Turner and Verse are edge rushers, posting excellent seasons in 2023 with 10 and nine sacks, respectively. Murphy is a defensive tackle, widely regarded as this class’s most explosive and dynamic interior rusher. It depends on how far they move down and which of them are available. After watching what happened with Darnell Wright, it’s important to realize what the Bears have planned is not widely known.
