The Chicago Bears are almost certainly going to select quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick (courtesy of the Carolina Panthers) in the 2024 NFL draft.
But the Bears also have the ninth overall selection, which offers plenty more intrigue (and options).
There are going to be some really good players on the board for them to consider at No. 9, and there’s certainly an allure of landing two blue chip players in the top 10. But there’s also a possibility of them trading back to get even more selections in the draft, considering they currently have just four picks.
One player they might consider trading down for is Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, who could be an immediate contributor. To get him, you don’t need to be picking super high in the first round, but you probably can’t drop far below 20.
If the Bears could find a suitor that desperately wants to come up to No. 9 — and makes a generous offer — it’s something for them to think about. If any of the top quarterbacks, wide receivers or offensive tackles fell to that spot, there would certainly be interest from teams to move up. The possibilities are endless.
Chicago hasn’t had an answer at the center position in a long time. They’re starting to put together a good offensive line — they added two options in Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton, who are currently expected to compete for the starting job. But there isn’t a center there that you are going into the season with full confidence.
Powers-Johnson might be able to bring that to this group. Putting him with = Williams while both are rookies means that they could grow together, which is important. They also have PAC-12 connections, which is something that could bond them.
General manager Ryan Poles would also be adding other draft picks in 2024 or 2025 with a move like this, as well. We’ve seen desperate teams give up a lot to move up a handful of spots, and the Bears could be on the other side of that this time. Powers-Johnson makes a compelling case in a trade back scenario.
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