Bears Urged to Trade 9th Pick, Target 17-TD Wide Receiver Out of SEC

Rome Odunze has been a focal point for the Chicago Bears‘ decision with the No. 9 pick in the NFL draft, but another wide receiver has recently emerged as an option if the team decides to trade down.

Adam Rank of NFL Network suggested that if the Bears can’t trade up for a player like Marvin Harrison Jr. at No. 5, they should instead deal back and target Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU later in the first round.

“Ryan Poles and the Bears should move up to No. 5 only if Marvin Harrison Jr. is there. Otherwise, I actually trade back for Brian Thomas Jr.,” Rank posted to X on Wednesday, April 11. “Although we all know they [are] going edge, it’s fun to think about.”

Thomas played second fiddle to star wideout Malik Nabers at LSU, who most analysts project to come off the board inside the top 10. However, Thomas was excellent in his own right, finishing the year with 68 receptions for 1,177 receiving yards and 17 TDs.

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Rome Odunze Could Fall to Bears at No. 9 Pick if Just 1 Trade Occurs in Top 5

Not every analyst is as certain as Rank that Chicago will look for an edge rusher with the 9th pick, particularly if Odunze is available there.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN released his newest mock draft on Wednesday, predicting every pick through the first two rounds. In a previous version, Kiper projected the Bears to select edge rusher Jared Verse out of Florida State at No. 9.

However, considering the likelihood of the Minnesota Vikings trying to trade up into the top five for a QB and the resulting removal of a receiver-needy team like the Los Angeles Chargers from the mix in that range of the draft, Kiper now believes Odunze will be available and that the Bears will select him.

“This would be a dream scenario for the Bears, right? They would be adding an elite wideout on a rookie contract to play with Keenan Allen and DJ Moore, and they wouldn’t have to move up from No. 9 to do it,” Kiper wrote. “Remember that Allen is a free agent in 2025, so wide receiver is a bigger need for Chicago than it might seem. The 6-3 Odunze was a nightmare for defenses to deal with in college. He had 92 catches last season, 23 of which came on vertical routes, the most in the FBS, according to ESPN Stats & Information.”

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Edge Rusher Remains Viable Option for Bears, but Offers More Value in Trade Down

In a sub-post to his own initial remarks on Thomas, Rank suggested that he would consider selecting Odunze at No. 9 if he was there, essentially agreeing with Kiper. Kiper also essentially agreed with Rank that if Chicago doesn’t go receiver at No. 9, the team is likely to look at a pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat.

“If the Bears pass on a wideout, look for them to target an edge rusher,” Kiper continue. “Laiatu Latu (UCLA) and Jared Verse (Florida State) are next up in my rankings.”

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Bears would target a pass rusher at No. 9. After Dallas Turner to the Atlanta Falcons at No. 8, Kiper doesn’t predict a second edge rusher to come off the board until Latu at 19 to the Los Angeles Rams.

That implies that Chicago could trade back for the 9th pick — potentially for a huge draft haul if Odunze is still on the board — and select an edge defender somewhere in the mid- to late-teens. The Bears could employ the same strategy if they want to target Thomas to fill out the receiver room, though could probably land him considerably later in the first round than either Verse or Latu.

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Buffalo Bills Make Sense as Trade Suitors for Bears at No. 9

Kiper projects Thomas to go to the Buffalo Bills at No. 28 who, interestingly enough, ESPN’s Mina Kimes suggested will be prime candidates to jump up into the top 10 for Odunze if he’s available.

Kimes put together a trade pitch in which the Bills send the Bears No. 28 and No. 60 in this year’s draft, as well as their 2025 first-rounder (likely late in the round) to move up to No. 9 for Odunze.

Chris Simms of NBC Sports, to whom Kimes pitched the deal, said it’s one he would take.

“I’m not as in love with [Odunze] maybe as much as the rest of the draft public, right,” Simms said. “I’m a big fan of Brian Thomas Jr. out of LSU and what he can do. That’s more my cup of tea maybe than Odunze is.”

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