Bears Insider Thinks Ryan Poles May Hatch A Surprise At #9 Pick

Adam Jahns of The Athletic confirmed the same thing many national insiders have said for the past few weeks. Barring something unexpected, Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears will take a quarterback with the #1 overall pick. The heavy favorite to be that pick is USC's Caleb Williams. It isn't set in stone, but unless the kid completely torpedoes the interview process, the odds are in his favor. The bigger debate is what the Bears plan to do at the #9 pick. I recently reported there are two factions inside Halas Hall. One side wishes to add a top pass rusher to put across from Montez Sweat. The other hopes to secure the next quarterback with a top wide receiver.

Jahns is in the camp of people who believe Poles is hoping to land one of the top receivers. Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze are all considered premium targets. However, there is a reasonable possibility that all three could be gone before the Bears pick again. That would make the Bears' decision easy, right? They would just go for the pass rusher instead. Jahns doesn't think that is entirely true. He revealed in a recent column the GM may have eyes for another top prospect.

At a position most wouldn't expect, no less.

Jahns: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame

If there is a run on quarterbacks (Williams, Maye, Daniels and McCarthy) and a run on receivers (Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., LSU’s Malik Nabers and possibly Odunze), then there is a great chance that one of the best tackles could be available at No. 9. Georgia tight end Brock Bowers and Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold could also be top-10 picks.

The Bears believe in left tackle Braxton Jones. Poles said that last month. But good organizations don’t pass on opportunities to improve at premium positions. Alt and Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu would do that. Poles and co-director of player personnel Jeff King saw Alt in person when Notre Dame hosted and beat USC and Williams. They spent a lot of time watching Notre Dame’s offensive linemen before the game, too.

One must remember Ryan Poles' background.

He is an offensive lineman at heart. It makes sense he'd want to build his team through the trenches. He already spent one 1st round pick on an offensive tackle last year with Darnell Wright. It isn't a stretch to think he'd consider doing it again, especially if it means he can keep his new quarterback protected. Alt is probably the best line prospect to come out of Notre Dame since All-Pro Quentin Nelson. The fact he's drawing comparison to former Pro Bowler Eric Fisher, whom Poles helped draft in Kansas City in 2013, is also telling.

Alt is massive at 6'8, 315 lbs. He's the son of former Pro Bowler Joe Alt, which explains why his technique is already so polished for his age. If that wasn't enough, he is also a team captain, so you know he has the high character Ryan Poles loves to look for in prospects. He checks every box imaginable.

It comes down to how much the Bears believe in Braxton Jones. The former 5th round pick has far outplayed his draft spot over the past two years. Most would consider him a decent left tackle. Probably top 20. Under normal circumstances, it would make sense to keep Jones in place. Still, if they feel Alt has top 10 capability, they must consider it. Finding great left tackles is difficult.