4 questions surrounding the Chicago Bears 9th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft

Question No.1: Are the Bears really content with only four picks?

The Bears currently have only four picks: 1, 9, 75, and 122. After they are done picking in the top 10, there are huge gaps between the 9th pick and their 75th pick. Ryan Poles was asked at an annual NFL league meeting in Orlando last month if he is content with staying with only four picks. He has indicated he is content with only 4 picks if there are no good offers available.

Poles does have a point. He cited they have had 25 picks in 3 years thanks to trades he has made since he took over. Not all of the draft picks will pan out, but the roster looks much better than when he first took over. You can make the argument that he used 2024 draft picks to acquire proven NFL talents in Montez Sweat(2nd round pick) last year and now Keenan Allen(4th round pick) last month, and still add four more players in the draft. It is really wild to think about that. If they stick with only four picks, perhaps this is why.

Head coach Matt Eberflus also chimed in and said they would add blue talent with their 9th overall pick, so it seems the trade-down scenario is dead, right? Despite adding both Sweat and Allen, the Bears' position of need is still wide receiver and an edge rusher. They have the luxury to pick either position at the 9th overall pick. But can they wait until the 75th overall pick to make their next pick?

The draft experts have repeatedly stated an incredible depth of wide receivers available in this year's draft after Marvin Harrision Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. Some mock drafts have them picking Rome Odunze, which is a dream scenario while others have Jared Verse or Dallas Turner. The Bears might want to ease Eberflus' anxiety by drafting an edge rusher with their 9th overall pick first.

But even with great depth at a wide receiver position, many of them will be gone before the Bears' next pick at 75. Therefore, the best-case scenario is that the Bears trade down between the 12th and 15th pick, get another 3rd-round pick, and still get either a receiver like Brian Thomas Jr. or an edge rusher like Jared Verse and Laiatu Latu is still available. Or they could surprise everyone by drafting a 3T defensive lineman like Byron Murphy or Jer'Zhan Newton, another position of need for Eberflus' defense.

This is contingent on what happens with the first 8 picks. Who could move up to pick a quarterback after Caleb Williams, a wide receiver, or a highly-rated offensive lineman? The 9th pick could be a valuable spot for some teams that could get desperate and want to move up. Will the Bears answer the call or will they stay put?