Bears Projected to Trade Back With Rival, Still Draft Star WR Prospect

Pairing QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze with their first two draft picks is arguably a dream scenario for the Chicago Bears. If that is true, then trading back, collecting an asset and still landing both players is an outcome beyond anything the Bears could hope for.

Only, the thing is, they can hope for it — at least according to Sam Monson of Pro Football Focus and his newest mock draft released on Monday, April 15.

Monson, like just about everyone else paid any amount of money to do this kind of work, projects Chicago will draft Williams No. 1 overall. He also projects that Odunze will be on the board for the Bears at No. 9.

However, Monson has the quarterback situation playing out differently than most mocks the avid NFL draft fan might run into while perusing the common avenues on the internet. In his scenario, the Washington Commanders select J.J. McCarthy second overall before the Denver Broncos trade up with the New England Patriots and take Jayden Daniels at No. 3.

That allows Drake Maye of UNC to fall to the Bears at No. 9 and creates a favorable trade scenario with the Minnesota Vikings, who hold the 11th pick. Monson pitched a trade in which the Bears swap the 9th selection for Nos. 11 and 108, then still draft Odunze with their second pick in the first round.

“Chicago would have taken Odunze at No. 9 overall had the Vikings not come calling about a trade,” Monson wrote. “Here, they get him two picks later and add extra draft capital from a division rival. Caleb Williams now has an embarrassment of riches to throw to.”

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Bears Recoup Similar Pick to the One They Traded Chargers for WR Keenan Allen Via Proposal With Vikings

Monson’s proposal ends up being the best of both worlds for the Bears, who have to feel that most scenarios at the No. 9 pick see them either selecting Odunze — if they’re lucky enough for him to fall that far — or passing on him to trade back and amass a couple of extra top-100 selections to fill more of their roster needs.

The No. 108 selection isn’t necessarily a premium asset, though it is two picks higher than the fourth-rounder the Bears sent to the Los Angeles Chargers last month for Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen, whom Odunze would pair up with alongside DJ Moore if Monson’s projection proves out.

Chicago also owns the No. 75 pick near the top of the third round, which would leave the Bears with two solid selections on Day 2 to address needs on the offensive and/or defensive lines.

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Rome Odunze Has Star Potential at NFL Level After Leading NCAA in Receiving Yards Last Year

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates co-authored a mock draft over the weekend, in which they directed Odunze to the Bears at No. 9.

“I love this fit with Williams, though I thought about an offensive lineman or edge rusher, too,” Kiper wrote. “Odunze could be a star. This is how Chicago can set up Williams to succeed as a rookie.”

Odunze led the NCAA in receiving during the 2023 campaign, gaining 1,640 yards on 92 receptions that included 13 TDs, as Washington played its way into the National Championship Game before falling to Michigan.

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