The Chicago Bears have to decide what to do with the No. 9 overall pick on draft day.
Their decision depends on the available players at that spot and potential trade offers from other teams. On Thursday, April 18, Bill Barnwell of ESPN looked into this matter and suggested a possible and cautious outcome for the 9th pick.
Barnwell suggested a deal where Chicago trades that pick to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a first-rounder (No. 14), a second-rounder (No. 45), and edge rusher Payton Turner.
While we’ve rightfully focused plenty of attention on the Bears landing two top-10 picks in this draft, they don’t have much in the coffers after those two early picks. After trading for Montez Sweat and Keenan Allen over the past few months, Chicago has one pick on Day 2 and one pick on Day 3. It could look to trade down from here to get an extra selection or two.
The Bears would add another premium pick to the mix for their defense while taking a flier on Turner, a 2021 first-rounder who has played just 15 games over three seasons because of injuries. They could also be in the market for a tackle themselves, as mentioned above, but if Chicago wants to move forward with Braxton Jones on the left side, this would be a way to replenish some of its missing draft capital. (It could also use the No. 14 pick on a tackle.)
The New Orleans Saints' Payton Turner Struggles With Injury Issues for Several Years
GettyAn edge rusher for the New Orleans Saints.
The Saints selected Turner No. 28 overall from Houston three drafts ago, but he has been plagued by injuries ever since.
Turner has never played more than eight games in a single season and has only 3 sacks over his professional career. Nevertheless, he was a first-round pick and is only 25 years old.
His $12.5 million rookie contract lasts until 2024, and he will earn less than $2.4 million in base salary next season. This makes him an affordable option for Chicago to pair with Sweat on the other side of the defensive line and see if he can stay relatively healthy for one year.
Turner, who is 6-foot-5 and 270 pounds, achieved 8.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss across 17 games in his last two college seasons. If he can perform at that level again, Chicago gets a great find. If not, he provides depth and they can let him go next March.
Bears Could Have Good Options With 14th Pick if They Trade Down With Saints
GettyEdge rusher Jared Verse from Florida State University.
More importantly for the Bears, getting a second-round pick for moving back just five spots from No. 9 to No. 14 is crucial.
If Chicago wants to draft an edge defender, Jared Verse from Florida State might be available at the 14th pick. If the team prefers an offensive tackle, they could choose JC Latham from Alabama or Olumuyiwa Fashanu from Penn State.
It's highly unlikely that any of the top three wide receivers in the draft will still be available at that point, and the Bears might be able to pick a player like Rome Odunze at No. 9. However, the addition of Allen from the Los Angeles Chargers for a fourth-round pick reduces Chicago’s need for wide receivers, which could change their plan based on how the first eight picks go.
