Which position should the Chicago Bears target with the ninth overall pick in the NFL Draft?

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles gave us all an interesting peek into how he will decide what direction to go with the 9th overall pick during his media session at the 2024 NFL owners meetings. While trading back is still an option, especially if a top quarterback slides, Poles told Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times that the front office will split into three teams who will each present their best argument for which position group to select: one for offensive tackle, one for receiver, and one for defensive end. Then, they’ll debate which move would impact the team the most.

All three groups should have no trouble making their case, deciding which will help the team the most will be difficult.

Fortunately, I don’t have to make the decision but what I can do is make my own case for each position group.

Wide Receiver

This may be the easiest position to argue for because there are three prospects who could all be WR1 in just about any other draft class. Never in NFL draft history have three receiver prospects been selected in the first eight picks, which, if you’re the type who doesn’t bet against history, almost guarantees that one of Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, or Rome Odunze will be available when the Bears are on the clock again.

Sure, the Bears already have two great receivers in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. But Allen is 32 and won’t be around much longer, while DJ Moore will likely play his way into a hefty extension after this season. Taking a top receiver at 9th overall may seem like a luxury pick, but it’s a smart building block for the future. Besides, the future of this franchise and its current regime will hinge on the success or failure of Caleb Williams, the presumed pick at first overall. Why not give him three Top 20 NFL receivers to target? One might be a little disgruntled from a lack of targets, but winning cures all.

Offensive Tackle

Speaking of giving Caleb Williams all the help he needs, what good is an elite wide receiver if the pocket collapses immediately after the snap? Give Poles credit where it’s due: the Chicago Bears’ offensive line is already much better than it was two years ago. But the job is not done and Poles should not be satisfied with an offensive line that tops out at “above average”.

The Detroit Lions built a juggernaut of pass protection in front of Jared Goff and they just captured their first NFC North crown.

If Joe Alt, the elite left tackle from Notre Dame, is available, the Bears must take him. Don’t worry about where the promising Braxton Jones will fit in. Draft Alt and sort it out later.

Alternatively, JC Latham (Alabama) and Taliese Fuaga (Oregon State) were elite right tackles in college. The Chicago Bears could draft one of them and bump Darnell Wright to the left side.

Give Caleb Williams 2.5 seconds to throw on almost every snap, and there’s not a defense in the league that could stop the Bears from scoring 35 points en route to a playoff run.

Defensive End

It’d be nice if the Bears could put up five touchdowns a game, but that’s a lot of pressure on a rookie quarterback. Why not build a defense to help him win even when he struggles?

The Chicago Bears defense improved mightily over the last half of the season after adding Montez Sweat, but there’s really not a true pass-rushing threat opposite him on the team. The first eight picks in this draft could all be offensive, which means at 9th overall, Ryan Poles should have his pick of any defensive player, and there are some great ones in this class.

Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu are the top EDGE/Defensive Ends in their class, and any of them would provide a major spark to the defense starting with their very first NFL snap. The Bears already have a fantastic back seven, and if they reinforce the defensive line, Chicago could be a top-three defense in 2024.

Caleb Williams might struggle a bit as the season goes on without more help up front or in the receivers room, but give him a chance to still deliver a win with 20 points or less and he’ll be just fine.