Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles pulled off a blockbuster trade for the No. 1 overall pick on March 10.
The Chicago Bears have the money and draft assets to play by their own rules this offseason, which includes making unconventional moves to land uncommon talents.
One such move could come as early as the No. 9 pick in the first round of next week’s NFL Draft. The general consensus has been that the Bears will look to add an offensive tackle or an edge rusher, two premier positions in the NFL and perhaps Chicago’s two most desperate needs. But don’t put it past second-year general manager Ryan Poles to pull a rabbit out of his hat and surprise everyone by selecting running back Bijan Robinson out of the University of Texas in that slot.
That was the message sent by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah during a Thursday, April 20 edition of The Season With Peter Schrager podcast.
“Somebody told me don’t sleep on Bijan Robinson with the Chicago Bears at No. 9,” Jeremiah said.
Bears Have Space For Bijan Robinson in Crowded RB Room
GettyTexas running back Bijan Robinson won the Doak Walker Award in 2022, which is given annually to the best running back in college football.
Former Chicago running back David Montgomery expressed his love for the organization and its fans after the 2022 season concluded, but the Bears failed to match the best offer for the free agent and Montgomery ultimately landed with the Detroit Lions.
Khalil Herbert remains on the roster in Chicago, while the team added D’Onta Foreman and Travis Homer on short-term deals this offseason. The Bears may have a legitimate starter somewhere in that trio, or the three could perhaps combine to offer Chicago an acceptable running back by committee approach.
However, there is value to adding an elite talent like Robinson to the backfield alongside quarterback Justin Fields. Fields produced a near-historic effort as a rusher from the QB position in 2022, amassing 1,143 yards and eight touchdowns on 160 attempts for a league-leading average of 7.1 yards per carry, per Pro Football Reference.
Robinson was a true dual-threat option at Texas last year on his way to winning the Doak Walker Award, which is given annually to the top running back in college football. Robinson rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns with an average of 6.1 yards per carry across 12 games last season. He also caught 19 passes for 314 yards and two scores, per Football Reference.
Bears Linked to Several Offensive Tackles with No. 9 Pick in NFL Draft
GettyOffensive tackle Peter Skoronski of Northwestern participates in a drill during the NFL Combine in March 2023.
While the prospect of adding Robinson to an offense with Fields under center and a handful of weapons on the edge is exciting, Chicago is more likely to build their attack from the inside out.
The Bears’ offensive line was atrocious in 2022, due in large part to the lack of an elite talent at the left tackle position. Several players who can presumably fill that role will be available when Chicago goes on the clock on Thursday, April 27, including Peter Skoronski of Northwestern.
Other potential options for the Bears at OT are Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State and Darnell Wright of Tennessee. That said, Chicago owns four of the first 64 selections in the draft and could do some maneuvering to procure a second selection in the middle or back end of the first round and look for an offensive lineman there.
If Poles chooses to go that route, Robinson becomes a legitimate option at the No. 9 pick, despite the fact that no running back has been a top-10 selection by any NFL team since the New York Giants picked Saquon Barkley second overall in 2018.