Hearing projections from draft experts and notable insiders is always fun, but there is a certain sense of intrigue when they come from people who have actually worked in the league, especially former general managers. These guys have a long list of connections across the NFL. They can get a good feel for which way teams might be leaning as the first round approaches tonight. That is why Chicago Bears fans should be interested in a recent mock draft conducted by Rick Spielman and Mike Tannenbaum.
Spielman was the top personnel guy in the Minnesota Vikings’ front office from 2006 to 2021. Tannenbaum was GM of the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins. They ran a detailed mock for The 33rd Team of how they think the 1st round unfolds. Things started as most expected. Quarterbacks go 1-2-3, and Arizona decides to stay put and take Marvin Harrison Jr. Things don’t get crazy for Bears fans until the 9th pick when they pull off perhaps one of the biggest baller moves a team possibly could.
Saints Receive: No. 9
Bears Receive: No. 14, No. 45
CHICAGO BEARS (VIA NO)
Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Tannenbaum: It works out big time for the Bears, as they get Rome Odunze. I’m surprised he’s even available here.
He’s big, strong, productive and has great body control. I had compared him to Terrell Owens. Also, Odunze actually led the country with 17.8 yards per catch.
To me, Allen is a year-to-year guy, so having Odunze and Moore long-term really works out great. Getting Odunze and an extra choice with Caleb Williams is just great business for the Bears.
The Chicago Bears landing Odunze after trading down would be insane.
Almost everybody has projected that the Washington receiver will not get out of the top 10. However, winds have shifted as the draft draws closer. Benjamin Allbright, a highly accurate insider, predicted the same thing in his own mock draft. Odunze fell to Indianapolis at #15. It sounds crazy, but this would be far from the first time a highly-rated receiver fell. CeeDee Lamb went 17th. Justin Jefferson went 22nd. Calvin Ridley went 27th. Guys fall for inexplicable reasons. Sometimes, teams have other positions in mind.
If this is how it plays out for the Chicago Bears, fans might start building his statue. Not only would he get one of the best receiving prospects in recent memory, but he’d secure a 2nd round pick on top of it. That is a leveling of GMing this organization hasn’t seen in years. Whether it happens remains hard to believe. Assuming Odunze reaches the 9th spot, it is difficult to see him getting past the New York Jets at #10. That said, Minnesota, Denver, and Las Vegas don’t seem interested in wide receiver help.
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Maybe it’s not so unbelievable.
