The Chicago Bears are just days away from selecting USC quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. While the first pick will address the team's century-long need, general manager Ryan Poles has his work cut out for him to address other roster holes with just four picks at his disposal.
The Athletic recently published its list of Bears roster needs, which were ranked as follows: quarterback, defensive end, defensive tackle, interior offensive line, and pass catcher.
At this point, we might as well eliminate quarterback from any list of Bears needs. It's... addressed. Caleb Williams is the guy, the Chicago Bears don't need a quarterback. They're about to select a generational talent.
So, with three picks left, including the ninth pick in Round 1, Poles can take several different approaches. He could trade down from nine and add more picks to fill more needs, choose to stay at nine and fill one of those needs with an absolute stud prospect, or just take the best player available, even if it's at a position that's not considered a need at this point (offensive tackle, for example).
To me, the list of Bears needs ranks:
1. Defensive end
2. Wide receiver
3. Interior defensive lineman
4. Interior offensive lineman
The Chicago Bears have four obvious needs and three picks to address them. The math doesn't work, the draft class won't be perfect.
MORE: Here's why Caleb Williams is lucky the Chicago Bears have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft
I firmly believe in taking the best player available in the first round, even if he doesn't fill a team's most pressing need. That's why I think Ryan Poles will err on the side of adding more offensive weapons for Caleb Williams via Malik Nabers or Rome Odunze (assuming one falls, which I believe there's a good chance they will). It's also why I wouldn't rule out Brock Bowers, the elite tight end prospect from Georgia. Sure, the Bears signed Gerald Everett in free agency, but he isn't the type of player who should stop the Bears from taking a potentially special offensive weapon in Bowers.
If both wide receivers are off the board, selecting the best pass rusher available is a no-brainer for Poles. It's the Bears' top need, and while there isn't a "special" defensive end in the 2024 NFL Draft, guys like Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu would all be instant-impact starters for Chicago if they choose them in the first round.
The Chicago Bears are in a rare position in this year's draft. They don't have many glaring needs, and with Caleb Williams and another top-10 rookie on their way, there's almost no chance the 2024 NFL Draft will be anything but a resounding success.
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