What the Chicago Bears do with the top pick is already set. Their move at nine is still a mystery. However, the buzz around what they do is growing louder.
The 2024 NFL Draft is just three days away. Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles is ready to lead what could be the most impactful in team history. He is working with two picks among the top nine. After revamping the offense, he is ready to take the unit to levels never seen by the team.
It appears that Poles’ move at the top of the draft is set. All signs point to the Chicago Bears selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams. His move at number nine, however, is still a mystery. He has a ton of options there. He could continue to give Williams the tools to succeed by adding a wide receiver or offensive lineman.
Poles could decide to get defensive end Montez Sweat some help by picking an edge rusher. He invested $98 million so he has every incentive to ensure Sweat succeeds as much as Willilams does. We saw the impact he made when Poles used a valuable second-round pick to acquire him last season at the trade deadline.
However, Poles could decide that he wants more picks. He only has four picks in the draft. With a valuable ninth pick, he could trade down and acquire more picks. For Chicago Bears fans, the excitement is what happens at nine. The move Poles makes at the top of the draft is already expected.
SI.com NFL insider Albert Breer spoke recently on what the Chicago Bears do on Thursday night.
Other teams have gotten the sense that Chicago will try to move down given their dearth of picks on Day 2 and Day 3. If the Bears stick (at No. 9), a couple of friends of GM Ryan Poles said they think he’ll be looking to add talent around Williams. So if one of the top three receivers slides to Chicago, DJ Moore and Keenan Allen could get a running mate. If not? Maybe an offensive lineman or Texas 3-technique Byron Murphy II.
If Poles makes a Daft splash, who does he go with?
Of course, this is not something that hasn’t already been reported concerning the Chicago Bears. However, reports as of late have Poles making a big splash in the draft. Multiple reports have him moving up to pick up one of the top wide receivers available.
The specific player they have Poles going after is Ohio State receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Early in the offseason, Harrison was a favorite among Chicago Bears fans. There was still a question of whether Poles would trade the number one pick for a treasure trove of picks like he did last year or trade the QB1, Justin Fields.
Well, as we know, Poles traded Fields for a bag of footballs. That meant that the Chicago Bears would use the number one pick on a quarterback. Then, after wining and dining with Williams twice and sending a small village of people to USC’s Pro Day to see him it was all but guaranteed that Williams would be the pick.
Picking Williams is a big move. However, at this point that is a foregone conclusion. Poles could want to make a huge impact on the draft by selecting Harrison, son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr.
Some felt that once the Chicago Bears settled on keeping the number one pick getting Harrison was a pipe dream. Even with a run on quarterbacks, there is no way Harrison makes it to nine. Poles will have to move up to select him. With just four picks, however, how does he do that?
The Chicago Bears have five picks in the first four rounds of next year’s draft. Poles could use the ninth pick this year and some of the early picks in next year’s draft to move up and pick Harrison.
How high does Poles move up?
If Poles does move up, how high should he go? Well, it appears that the Arizona Cardinals at four are set to select Harrison. They also need an offensive lineman to help protect Kyler Murray. However, they want to give him a big weapon.
There are reports that the New England Patriots, picking at one spot ahead of the Cardinals, are interested in Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. They could move down to nine, pick up some draft capital, and still have McCarthy available. They would be a perfect trade partner.
Ben Volin of the Boston Globe brought up the possibility of a Bears/Patriots trade.
The Bears could get aggressive for Marvin Harrison Jr…The Patriots wouldn’t mind trading out of No. 3, and I’ve got my eye on the Bears at No. 9, who seem like they want to make a big splash and be the talk of the NFL this year. The way to do that is trade up and get Harrison. The Bears are already drafting Williams at No. 1, and what better way to create excitement than to get the best quarterback and the best receiver in one draft?
What Volin wrote at the end is big. Poles can make a huge impact by selecting the top quarterback and wide receiver in the draft. He is adamant about having Williams succeed. With D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Harrison as his three top targets, the odds are he will.
Some may wonder about Harrison being a WR3. However, Allen is 32 years old. He is ready to go off into the pasture. He is a $23.1 million salary cap hit. He could take that last big payday and ride off into the sunset. The Bears would need someone who can step in when he leaves. Harrison is that replacement.
It will be an interesting weekend for Poles and the Chicago Bears. When it is all said and done, we may look back at this draft as when the franchise entered the modern day of the NFL.
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