9 players Bears could draft with No. 9 pick this year originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
There will almost certainly be no drama with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Everything points to the Bears selecting Caleb Williams to take over as their new quarterback, and after the team’s visit to Los Angeles for USC’s Pro Day that decision appears to be made.
So now we turn our eyes to the No. 9 pick in the draft.
The Bears have several paths they can go down with their second first-round pick this year. They will break into groups to identify the top wide receivers, offensive tackles and edge rushers in this year’s class, then debate which of those top players will help the team the most both in the short term and over the long haul.
If one of those players is still on the board when they’re back on the clock, it would stand to reason they’d stay pat and add them to the team. But if they either have several blue chippers left on their list at No. 9, or if all the players they’ve identified as “elite” are gone, they could decide to slide back a few spots and recoup some draft capital in the process.
Here’s a list of nine players (in alphabetical order) that the Bears could acquire with the No. 9 pick in the draft, or after trading the No. 9 pick away.
JOE ALT – OFFENSIVE TACKLE – NOTRE DAME
Some consider Alt the most NFL-ready offensive tackle in the draft and it’s easy to see why. He took over as the Fighting Irish starting left tackle partway through the 2021 season and kept that job through the 2023 campaign. This past season he only surrendered five pressures per PFF, which was the second-best number among all tackles with at least 200 pass rush snaps. His exceptional athleticism fits what the Bears want in linemen perfectly, too.
The Bears already have Braxton Jones plugged in at left tackle and he’s made big strides over his first two NFL seasons. If he continues on his current developmental trajectory, he could end up being one…
..
