The Chicago Bears have reportedly narrowed their choices for the No. 9 pick with about a week to go before draft night on April 25. There isn’t much grey area about what the Bears will do with the No. 1 pick, as Caleb Williams is expected to join Chicago within minutes of the draft’s start.
Following their first pick, the Bears’ next decision will be how to best build around their new quarterback. Over the next week, general manager Ryan Poles’ staff will debate the pros and cons of taking a pass catcher, offensive tackle, or pass rusher.
The Chicago Bears are deciding between two pass catchers at No. 9
Per Tony Pauline with Sportskeeda, the Bears have two options in mind if they go with a pass catcher:
“Sources say if the Bears go pass catcher with the ninth pick, it will come down to Bowers or receiver Rome Odunze. Bowers was in Chicago on Tuesday for an official-30 visit with the franchise”
The Bears must not think they’ll be capable of taking Malik Nabers of Marvin Harrison Jr. with the No. 9 pick. That doesn’t mean the Bears don’t like and will not draft Nabers or MHJ. It just means the front office thinks they’d have to trade up to land either of those two players.
Bowers or Odunze would be a huge help for the next quarterback. Bowers is an intriguing option for a Bears team that will have its offensive plays called by Shane Waldron. Waldron likes to feature 12 and 13 personnel, so having multiple skilled tight ends would be a plus for the Bears this season.
Brock Bowers is a top-ten player in the draft
Per Pauline, GMs and scouting departments are high on Bowers. He’s considered one of the top six players in the 2024 draft class:
“On Monday, I reported that people around the league believe Brock Bowers is possibly the most underrated player in this draft, and since then I’ve spoken with a number of front-office decision makers who concur with the opinion and expanded on it.
As draft meetings are coming to a close, most teams I’ve spoken with have Bowers rated as the fifth or sixth player on their overall board. Bowers presently rates as the fourth player on the Sportskeeda mock draft simulator, and the second pass catcher after Marvin Harrison Jr.”
Would Rome Odunze provide better value for the Bears?
The Bears could draft a steal for their roster if they take the fifth or sixth-best player in the draft with the No. 9 pick. But, there is one important reason why the Bears might decide to skip Bowers for Odunze: value. According to Brad Biggs with the Chicago Tribune, the Bears wouldn’t get as much value for their cap by drafting a tight end in the top ten:
“The issue is positional value. If Bowers is the 10th pick, he would command a fully guaranteed salary of roughly $21.3 million over four years. Compared with what the elite tight ends earn (the top five average about $15 million per year), there isn’t as much surplus value as you’d get if you drafted a wide receiver, an offensive tackle or certainly a quarterback when you look at what the top players at those positions are paid.
It’s an interesting discussion and it comes down to how teams value Bowers. Do they believe he can be as productive as the league’s top players at the position?”
Odunze could provide more value for the Bears than Bowers and be a better talent than the Georgia standout. Former NFL scout Daniel Jeremiah lists Odunze as the third-best player in the draft behind Willians and MHJ, while he lists Bowers as the seventh-best player.
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