The Chicago Bears are now shrouded in a fog of mystery. No longer burdened by holding the #1 overall pick, most media outlets have drawn back their coverage of the team. GM Ryan Poles sounds perfectly fine with that. Less attention means fewer chances somebody will pick up on what he has planned for the 9th overall pick when the action begins on April 27th. Still, that hasn’t stopped some from digging into the source network, seeing if they can find a trail of breadcrumbs to what the Bears have planned.
Poles has done a good job of keeping everybody in the dark, but that hasn’t stopped some minor leaks from slipping out. With them comes the ability to form some semblance of a picture. Based on the limited information available, here is a breakdown of how things will unfold based on likelihood.
The Chicago Bears’ intentions have boiled down to three.
3. Draft Jalen Carter
Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron stated outrightly that he believes the Bears will take Carter if he’s available at #9. In truth, that isn’t hard to see. Poles comes from an organization in Kansas City that wasn’t afraid to take risks on players with maturity issues. On top of that, Carter’s skillset makes him a perfect fit for Matt Eberflus’ defense at the three-technique. Carter has some red flags, but none of them are deal-breakers. The problem is whether he actually falls to the 9th spot. Despite the concerns, it still feels like one team will decide to take the risk on his talent, be it Seattle at #5, Detroit at #6, or home state Atlanta at #8.
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2. Draft their preferred offensive tackle
People continue to hype up the idea of Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Bijan Robinson as wild card options for the Chicago Bears. Nothing substantial in terms of inside information has supported this happening. Everything points to Poles targeting his offensive tackle of preference when the time comes to make a pick. Justin Fields sorely needs better protection. Chicago has a glaring hole at right tackle. It makes sense to plug it with the best prospect on their board in the 1st round. The three best options are Paris Johnson of Ohio State, Broderick Jones of Georgia, and Darnell Wright of Tenneions. Most experts agree Johnson is the most well-rounded of the trio. If Carter is out of the picture, that feels like the pick.
1. Trade down and draft preferred offensive tackle
The only more persistent rumor than the other two is the belief Poles wishes to trade down from #9. When hearing the talks around the draft community, it’s easy to understand. Several experts have the top offensive tackles ranked somewhere in the mid-to-late-teens rather than the top 10. It would make sense for the Bears to trade down, secure an extra pick or two, and likely get one of them at a spot more befitting their value. Obviously, such a move would carry risks. Tennessee (#11) and New York (#13) have needs on the offensive line. Still, Poles appears confident he can land somebody he covets on his board after moving down. It’s merely a question of how far.
