What the experts mock for the Bears at No. 9
In just over a week, the Bears will be on the clock.
And they’ll be on the clock twice. General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears hold two first-round selections, the first overall pick and the ninth overall pick. Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus have an opportunity to find multiple impact players ahead of the 2024 season.
So who do NFL analysts expect the Bears will take? Below is a roundup of the latest mock drafts from across the NFL media world. Not surprisingly, every mock expects the Bears to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick.
Williams has long been the top prospect in the 2024 draft cycle, and going through the pre-draft process has only strengthened the belief the Bears will select Williams with the top pick.
But what will the Bears do with the No. 9 pick? Here’s a look at the most recent mock drafts.
Sean Hammond, Shaw Media
No. 9: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Writes Hammond (on April 14): “The Bears might consider trading down, but not with Odunze dropping to them at No. 9.”
Mel Kiper and Field Yates, ESPN.com
No. 9: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Writes Kiper (April 15): “I love this fit with Williams, though I thought about an offensive lineman or edge rusher too. Odunze could be a star. This is how Chicago can set up Williams to succeed as a rookie.”
Peter Schrager, NFL.com
No. 15: J.C. Latham, OT, Alabama (via trade with Colts)
Writes Schrager (April 16): “After piling up more draft capital by trading back, the Bears still land a stud offensive tackle. Latham could be the second OT taken on draft night — some teams like him that much. If the board falls this way, Chicago adds a big, pedigreed bookend who can join last year’s first-round tackle, Darnell Wright, in protecting the new franchise quarterback, Caleb Williams.”
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today
No. 9: Jared Verse, Edge, Florida State
Writes Middlehurst-Schwartz (April 15): “Both Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus know how difficult it is to find premium pass rushers after they paid up at the trade deadline last year to land Pro Bowler Montez Sweat. Verse could step in as a complementary piece and quickly make his mark both in generating pressure and holding firm against the run.”
Marcus Mosher, The 33rd Team
No. 13: Byron Murphy, DT, Texas (via trade with Raiders)
Writes Mosher (April 15): “The Bears miss out on the top three receivers at No. 9, making a trade-down much more palatable. They pivot to defense at No. 13, taking arguably the best defensive player in the class. Byron Murphy is an incredible athlete who should be a disruptive player immediately.”
Sam Monson, Pro Football Focus
No. 11: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington (via trade with Vikings)
Writes Monson (April 15): “Chicago would have taken Odunze at No. 9 overall had the Vikings not come calling about a trade. Here, they get him two picks later and add extra draft capital from a division rival. Caleb Williams now has an embarrassment of riches to throw to.”
Chris Trapasso, CBS Sports
No. 9: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Writes Trapasso (April 11): “The Bears are doing everything possible to make the landing spot cushy for Caleb Williams. Rome Odunze at No. 9 will signal that even more than the Keenan Allen trade a few weeks ago.”
Nick Wright, Fox Sports
No. 5: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (via trade with Chargers)
Said Wright (April 15): “The Bears try to have an all-time draft. … The Bears have an opportunity here if they were to move up to take Caleb Williams, the No. 1 quarterback to come out in years, and Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 1 receiver to come out in years.”
Ryan Fowler, The Draft Network
No. 9: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
Writes Fowler (April 15): “With Caleb Williams at QB, Rome Odunze would immediately provide a WR1a next to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. The latter isn’t 25 anymore, and Odunze has the skill set to dominate for a long, long time at the NFL level. He sits hip-to-hip with Marvin Harrison Jr. on a few teams’ boards.”
Charles McDonald and Nate Tice, Yahoo Sports
No. 9: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
Writes Yahoo Sports (April 5): “It’s hard to turn down adding a weapon of Nabers’ caliber, which also gives the Bears’ shiny new quarterback of the future another weapon to help make his life easier at the next level.”