Getty General Manger Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears own two picks in the top 10 in the upcoming NFL draft, and Dane Brugler of The Athletic thinks there’s a chance they’ll move up to select former University of Washington standout Rome Odunze with the second of those two picks.
Chicago currently holds the No. 1 overall pick in addition to No. 9 overall. In his March 5 mock draft, Brugler based his latest selections on “what we know right now and what I heard while in Indianapolis” at the NFL scouting combine held from February 29 through March 3.
Brugler has the Bears sending the No. 9, No. 75 and a 2025 fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for No. 5 overall.
“The Chargers want to move back and add more picks as Jim Harbaugh rebuilds the roster to fit his vision,” Brugler wrote, adding:
“For the Bears, fortune favors the bold. None of the top three receivers are falling to No. 9, and this is a relatively low price to pay for an impact pass catcher who will help win games from Day 1. Only GM Ryan Poles knows which receiver he would prefer in this scenario, but a popular theory to emerge from combine buzz was that a Bears-Odunze pairing might be the best fit in the draft.”
Would Chicago Bears Trade Up to Draft WR Rome Odunze?
Who is the best NFL prospect in Oregon-Washington showdown Saturday?
My vote is easy: WR Rome Odunze.
Outstanding size/speed athlete (6027v, 217v) with plus body coordination and ball skills to win the catch point. This is a 1st round WR.
Brugler’s colleague at The Athletic, Adam Jahns, who covers the Bears, doesn’t believe Bears GM Ryan Poles will be this aggressive, as Poles has yet to trade up in Round 1.
“I don’t think the Bears are ready to trade up in the first round for any player right now,” Jahns wrote on March 6. In the same piece, Kevin Fishbain, who also covers the Bears for The Athletic, isn’t so sure. Noting Poles loves players with high raw athletic scores (RAS), Fishbain doesn’t think this is a definite ‘no.’
“Could the Bears keep their draft pick and still come away with a solid starter, or is Odunze too good to pass up? The hypothetical is intriguing because Odunze might be that good,” Fishbain noted.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Odunze had a monster season in 2023, finishing with 92 catches for 1,640 receiving yards (17.8 yards per reception) and 13 touchdowns in 15 games (bowl games included).
Odunze followed his stellar senior campaign up with a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the combine, also finishing with excellent marks in the 20-yard shuttle (4.03) and the vertical leap (39 inches).
Brugler noting combine buzz had the Bears and Odunze pairing as the potential “best fit in the draft” is notable. But would Poles trade up to 5 or maybe 6 to snag the talented wideout? Odunze will very likely be gone by the time No. 9 rolls around, so if Poles wants him, he’ll need to trade up.
Dane Brugler: Bears Likely Drafting QB Caleb Williams at No. 1
We just spent 10 minutes with Caleb Williams. Condolences to the Vikings, Lions, and Packers. This guy is the real deal, and the Bears will have their first franchise QB since Sid Luckman.
One of the most common themes at the combine, according to Brugler, was that the Bears are going to draft QB Caleb Williams at No. 1. The only team he sees making a huge play for Williams would be the Washington Commanders.
A native of D.C., Williams also has a connection to the Commanders staff, as ex-USC senior offensive analyst Kliff Kingsbury has been hired as the Commanders’ new offensive coordinator.
“While this isn’t a done deal, I didn’t talk to anyone at the combine who believes this won’t happen,” Brugler wrote about the Bears drafting Williams.
“An intriguing scenario would be if the Commanders try to make a move up to No. 1 to bring Williams back home — that possibility came up a few times during my conversations in Indianapolis,” he added. “And if the Bears have similar grades on multiple quarterbacks, a move down might make sense for them. But with what we know right now, Williams to Chicago is the expected final outcome.”