Odunze. But I bet the Bears will trade down. I just think Odunze would be a fantastic good fit here with this new offense.
Odunze and Poles won't trade down if he's there.
Here's why: A) Bears need a 3rd WR pretty badly. They have nothing after Moore and Allen. Allen will likely miss time again this season and is only guaranteed to be a here a year. He's also 32 and, although still very productive, could fall off a cliff soon.
B) Most WRs take a year in the league to really shine. Chase and Jefferson are exceptions, not the rule. Most don't light the league on fire as rookies. Drafting Rome now takes pressure off him to produce right away and gives him two excellent vet mentors to learn from for 2025. It also gives Poles some leverage with KA's contract if he wants to extend him or not.
C) If you want to "max support" Caleb, this is a great way to do it. Only Alt is comparable there and we are assuming he's gone in this mock.
D) Poles has used the trade market and cap dollars to shore up the WR position. He hasn't had draft success there yet. He missed badly on Velus and Scott doesn't look a whole lot better right now either. He needs a win here.
Odunze. But I bet the Bears will trade down. I just think Odunze would be a fantastic good fit here with this new offense.
Odunze and Poles won't trade down if he's there.
Here's why: A) Bears need a 3rd WR pretty badly. They have nothing after Moore and Allen. Allen will likely miss time again this season and is only guaranteed to be a here a year. He's also 32 and, although still very productive, could fall off a cliff soon.
B) Most WRs take a year in the league to really shine. Chase and Jefferson are exceptions, not the rule. Most don't light the league on fire as rookies. Drafting Rome now takes pressure off him to produce right away and gives him two excellent vet mentors to learn from for 2025. It also gives Poles some leverage with KA's contract if he wants to extend him or not.
C) If you want to "max support" Caleb, this is a great way to do it. Only Alt is comparable there and we are assuming he's gone in this mock.
D) Poles has used the trade market and cap dollars to shore up the WR position. He hasn't had draft success there yet. He missed badly on Velus and Scott doesn't look a whole lot better right now either. He needs a win here.
I made the poll too easy. Should have a poll where Odunze is also gone.
I've gone back and forth more times than I can count on what I think the Bears will do at 9. I've been saying forever that if any of the big 3 receivers are there they should had in the card immediately, and I still believe that.
But I don't think there is a bad choice the Bears can make here. I like Verse...A LOT! I also like Byron Murphy...A LOT! The idea of trading down and getting some more draft capital and still walking away with 1 of them doesn't upset me in the least. Having said that, I do think drafting any offensive tackle not named Alt would be a mistake.
I've gone back and forth more times than I can count on what I think the Bears will do at 9. I've been saying forever that if any of the big 3 receivers are there they should had in the card immediately, and I still believe that.
But I don't think there is a bad choice the Bears can make here. I like Verse...A LOT! I also like Byron Murphy...A LOT! The idea of trading down and getting some more draft capital and still walking away with 1 of them doesn't upset me in the least. Having said that, I do think drafting any offensive tackle not named Alt would be a mistake.
Yeah, that's pretty much how I am right now... I do go back and forth on what I think the Bears should do. But I keep thinking that every draft has strong and weak positions, and the Bears (in hindsight) have made a few bad 1st round picks in the past when they spent their first round pick on a position that was a bit weak that year. It may have been one of the best players at that position that year, but it wasn't the year to draft anyone that high (at least in hindsight that's my take on it). If this draft is special at WR, and one of the top-3 is there at #9, maybe this is the year to draft a WR that high. I get the argument that you can get good WRs later in this draft. And edge is more thin in this draft. I'd love to see Alt drafted if he fell to #9 too (I don't think he falls though... not to #9).
I could see Keenan Allen gone next year. Then we are back to D.J. Moore and "the rest" - and if he's injured then who do we have for Caleb? JAGs. Investing in a top WR this year just makes sense, even though the positional value is not as high as QB, LT, DL are. And the game has changed in recent years elevating the importance of WR. LOLOL, I go back and forth daily on this...
Odunze. But I bet the Bears will trade down. I just think Odunze would be a fantastic good fit here with this new offense.
I want Odunze, but I think the Bears will trade down for more picks this year.
Unless there's a bidding war for a QB, we aren't gonna get that much IMO. Maybe a 3rd unless you move way back in the late 1st which would mean you aren't getting a blue chip prospect anymore.
