Jackson Powers-Johnson wants to be a Chicago Bear.

247sports.com/nfl/chicago-bears/Article/2024-nfl-draft-scouting-report-iol-jackson-powers-johnson-oregon-228224928/

“At this point, it's fair to expect Powers-Johnson to be mid first-round pick and potentially, a second-round pick if he falls through the cracks. From a Chicago Bears perspective, he would make sense as a long-term option, especially as a player who could sit and learn from veterans like Ryan Bates, who was just acquired for a fifth-round draft pick. If the Bears were to select him, they'd likely trade down from the ninth overall pick in order to recoup some extra draft capital and get the right value for Johnson.”

I like this idea. Let Bates hold down the center for a year while JPJ is learning the ropes. He doesn’t have to start immediately. Just be Super Bowl ready by 2025. If he plays better than Bates right out of the gate, then do it sooner.

It’s going to have to be a team that wants to trade up to #9 for a QB. The possibilities will be clearer once we see what happens with the available veteran QBs on the market.

 It also depends on whether Poles wants to go offense at #9 for “max support” for Williams. Otherwise, he is very likely to draft DL if Nabers/Odunze are gone, and he might just do it anyway even if they are available.  

So the stars have to all align on draft night for JPJ to become a Bear. But wild stuff happens every draft, so it’s possible. 

Swift seems 99% sure Poles will trade #9, on the idea that he needs to manufacture more picks. It’s a long wait from #9 to #75.

And here is a guy who also wants to join the draft JPJ club. From the second part of this trade, McConkey looked like a good slot receiver prospect at the combine.

www.bearstalk.com/2024/03/04/chicago-bears-trade-justin-fields-and-the-no-9-pick-in-this-2024-nfl-mock-draft

It is an idea that is gaining traction. JPJ in first and WR in second. That goes a long way toward the offense along with Williams.