ESPN Draft Insider Pinpoints Team Who May Pursue Chicago Bears' #9 Pick

The Chicago Bears have kept their plans for the #9 pick close to the vest. Much of it rests on how the board falls for GM Ryan Poles through the first eight selections. It is reasonable to assume if the right player falls to that spot, the team will simply stay put and take him. However, there remains a strong undercurrent of belief that they wish to move down from #9, hoping to secure additional draft capital. Right now they only have four selections due to trades for Montez Sweat, Keenan Allen, and Ryan Bates.

Poles has said he doesn't fear coming out of this draft with fewer picks because of the shallow talent pool and Chicago's nine picks next year. That said, the Bears have never had fewer than ten picks in a draft under Poles' direction. He doesn't seem like the time to stand pat at only four selections. If he can somehow secure one or two more between the 2nd and 4th rounds, that would give Chicago much-needed flexibility. Draft insider Matt Miller of ESPN spoke to Parkins & Spiegel on 670 The Score about it. He believes there is one team that is a hot candidate to call the Bears about making a deal.

Trading back with Buffalo would be bold for the Chicago Bears.

They select 28th in the first round. To move from that to 9th would be a gigantic leap and undoubtedly cost a lot in draft capital. Luckily, they have ten picks in this draft and two 2nd rounders in 2025. If the Bills see a go-to receiver who can be the next stud for Josh Allen, they have enough ammunition to take a swing. There is also a blueprint for a deal of this nature. In 2011, the Atlanta Falcons traded up from the 27th pick to 7th overall to select Julio Jones. That move cost them 2nd and 4th round picks that year and 1st and 4th round picks the following year. Chicago could be looking at something similar.

The obvious challenge for Poles in such a scenario would be landing a good player if he moved down to #28. He could decide to trade back up after that. Based on mock drafts from prominent experts, the Chicago Bears would be looking at guys like Jer'Zhan Newton, Chop Robinson, Adonai Mitchell, Byron Murphy, and Tyler Guyton as possibilities. Not a terrible list of options, but also far less certainty. Everything comes down to how confident Poles is he can still land a good player that late and whether the extra picks will make a big difference.