National insiders haven’t been shy about predicting what the Chicago Bears will do at #9 this Thursday. They seem to have fallen into two camps. Either GM Ryan Poles will take Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, or he’ll take Ohio State left tackle, Paris Johnson. The latter has become a popular name in the past few days. It is easy to see why. He’s big, athletic, and long. Everything the Bears look for in linemen. Whether this is true remains undetermined. One insider thinks it isn’t as specific as that.
Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog has maintained accurate information on the team for a long time. He made his position clear on Monday. From what he’s heard, the Bears’ stance comes in two parts. Their primary goal is to trade down from #9. Poles seems adamant about adding another pick to his inventory. If that doesn’t materialize, then his plan becomes straightforward.
No Carter to be mentioned. The Bears seem entirely focused on getting Justin Fields more protection. It merely comes down to who is available when they’re on the clock.
It’s hard to fault the Chicago Bears for this thinking.
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Yes, Carter might be the most talented player in the draft, but the game is still driven through the quarterback position. The Bears can’t know for sure who they have in Fields until they fortify his protection. It’s what the Kansas City Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes. Fields deserves the same attention. Four viable options could be on the board when the pick goes live. Johnson was already mentioned. The others are Peter Skoronski of Northwestern, Broderick Jones of Georgia, and Darnell Wright of Tennessee.
Skoronski is projected by many as a guard at the next level but might be the safest pick. Jones is a terrific athlete with so much upside but clear technical flaws. Wright is a proven pass protector with great power and nastiness. However, he’s not quite the athlete of the others. Johnson might be the most well-rounded of the four with his upside and proven ability to this point. The Chicago Bears aren’t telling anybody who their preference is. We may not know until the clock starts.
