Getty The Chicago Bears could trade back from the No. 9 overall to get "arguably" the best defensive player in the 2024 draft class.
The Chicago Bears may find that one — or a few — of the blue-chip prospects on their draft board are still available when they are on the clock at No. 9 overall. If their top choices are all gone, though, the motivation to trade back further into the round and acquire another premium pick could increase significantly.
One scenario where trading back becomes much more “palatable” is if all three of the top wide receivers are taken in the first eight picks. The 33rd Team’s Marcus Mosher even played out this scenario in his April 15 seven-round mock draft, pitching a Bears trade proposal with the Las Vegas Raiders that would land them two top-50 selections.
He proposed the Bears send the No. 9 selection along with a 2025 fifth-rounder to the Raiders in exchange for the 13th and 44th picks in this year’s draft. He then projected them to use their new selections on Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (No. 13) and Oregon wide receiver Troy Franklin (No. 44) to address two major roster needs.
“The Bears miss out on the top three receivers at No. 9, making a trade down much more palatable,” Mosher wrote as justification for the Bears trading down. “They pivot to defense at No. 13, taking arguably the best defensive player in the class. Byron Murphy is an incredible athlete who should be a disruptive player immediately.”
Bears Scouting Prospects Outside 1st-Round Range
The Bears own just two selections outside of the first round in this year’s draft and are will wait 65 picks between their second first-rounder (No. 9) and their next pick in the third round (No. 75) without a trade. Chicago might not mind the long break if it can land two desired players with its top-10 picks, but the best-case scenario has also not stopped the Bears from exploring other options during the pre-draft process.
Over the past few weeks, the Bears have brought in numerous prospects for official pre-draft visits who are not considered realistic choices for them in the top 10. Some of the visiting names include Texas wide receiver Xavier Worthy, Penn State edge rusher Chop Robinson and offensive tackles JC Latham (Alabama) and Tyler Guyton (Oklahoma).
Now, Chicago could reasonably just be doing its due diligence on other options. Perhaps it is also considering the possibility of trading up into the second round from No. 75 without mobilizing its No. 9 pick, if one of the desired talents falls out of the first. The Bears do have two 2025 second-rounders to consider using as trade chips to move up.
Still, it is worth recognizing that the Bears have put considerable effort into evaluating talents all throughout the first round, adding substance to proposals such as Mosher’s.
Byron Murphy II Makes Sense for Bears, Even at No. 9
Mosher’s justification for the Bears trading back is relatively simple: With Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Joe Alt and Dallas Turner all taken, the Bears decide not to reach on a prospect with the ninth pick and move back slightly to add another top-50 pick, shortening their wait and giving them a two-for-one deal.
No doubt, the logic is there — especially if one of the top four quarterbacks is still available at No. 9, as is the case in Mosher’s mock draft. The Bears might even be able to get a larger return than Mosher predicts if they can pit the quarterback-needy teams against each other in a bidding war to move up for their new franchise starter.
That said, Murphy would be a quality selection for the Bears even at No. 9.
Murphy proved to be an interior menace during his career at Texas, making up for his lack of size (297 pounds, just under 6-foot-1) with elite athleticism. He knew how to explode off the line without sacrificing power for speed and became adept at using his leverage and balance to win his battles both in the pass game and the run game.
“Overall, Murphy might lack ideal size, but he’s a leverage machine who makes an impact on all three downs,” NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah wrote about Murphy in his most recent 2024 prospect rankings, where Murphy landed No. 19 overall.
The Bears are still looking for a true “engine” for their defense in the three-technique role and lost veteran Justin Jones in free agency last month. While there are cases for the Bears to prioritize positions with less depth, the impact Murphy could create for their defense is quite enticing — especially if they can move back and get him at No. 13.
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