Everything appears to line up regarding the #1 pick for the Chicago Bears. They’re going to take a quarterback, and that quarterback will likely be Caleb Williams. No drama has surfaced at this point. Everybody says it is all but a lock. That doesn’t mean the intrigue is over for fans. GM Ryan Poles also has the #9 overall pick to worry about. It represents another big opportunity to land an elite prospect. The tougher question is who to take. Debates have raged for weeks on that subject. Some think the Bears will take whomever of the top three wide receivers that fall there.
Others think they need to grab a second pass rusher to put opposite Montez Sweat. However, there may be another possibility on the table. Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron alluded to it in his recent column. He mentioned how the Bears might be thinking about taking Notre Dame left tackle Joe Alt if he is there at #9. In such an event, they would install him on the left side opposite Darnell Wright. Then he would turn around and trade Braxton Jones to a team in need of left tackle help, likely securing a solid draft choice.
While I’m on the side of keeping Braxton Jones as the starting left tackle, if Alt is there at nine, he’s a unique left tackle prospect who should have success as both a run and pass blocker and should be able to step in and perform well immediately.
If the Bears do choose Alt, speaking with one plugged-in media member, they felt the return on a trade for Braxton Jones, a starting caliber left tackle with two years of control on a highly affordable contract, could net as much as a third-round pick, no worse than a fourth.
If four QBs go in the top 8, there will be one of these elite prospects available no matter what happens at nine.
Ryan Poles’ logic is sound in this scenario.
Most experts would agree Alt is a better prospect than Jones at left tackle. He’s been compared to prominent NFL players like Eric Fisher and Penei Sewell. He’s big, strong, athletic, and as polished as any blocker in the entire class. If the Bears think he’d be an upgrade on the left side, they aren’t wrong to take him. Some may not like the idea of trading Jones, preferring to keep him as a top backup. However, one must not forget the Bears only have four picks in the draft. Trading him would get them to five, giving Poles more flexibility to keep helping the roster elsewhere.
Ultimately, this scenario would be excellent for the Bears from a business perspective. They’ll have spent a 5th round pick on Jones, developed him over two seasons to a point where he’s a solid starter, and then flipped him to another team for a 3rd round pick. That is a net gain for the organization. Nothing is set in stone. For this scenario to play out, Alt would have to drop to the #9 spot. Most mock drafts don’t see him getting past the Tennessee Titans at #7. If he does? Ryan Poles may hatch a surprise.
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