Is WR3 or EDGE2 a bigger hole right now?

The Chicago Bears 2024 roster is nearly complete. With only a few million left in effective cap space, there probably isn’t another splashy signing coming, and the Bears have only four selections coming up in the NFL Draft.

While the Bears can absolutely find a contributor with picks 75 or 122, it certainly isn’t something that can be relied upon this season. They have one major swing with the ninth pick, and there are two glaring holes on the roster: a third wide receiver and a second pass-rushing edge.

But if the Bears have the option to fill either spot when they are on the clock with the ninth pick, what should they do?

The decision may be made for them. While there will be multiple edges available with the ninth pick (Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and Laiatu Latu all could be available), there may not be one of the elite receivers available.

There is a consensus top three at wide receiver, Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison, LSU’s Malik Nabers, and Washington’s Rome Odunze. It seems to be trending that both Harrison and Nabers will be gone prior to the Bears’ selection, but Odunze seems to have about a 50-50 chance of being available at nine.

If Odunze is there versus those edges, what is the best choice for Ryan Poles? If Odunze is gone, while this is a deep class at wide receiver, there aren’t any other prospects that should be considered at nine, although LSU’s Brian Thomas is certainly rising on boards.

There’s no question that both these positions need help. With the addition of Gerald Everett, the Bears’ offense can run a two-tight end set with Everett and Cole Kmet and Keenan Allen and DJ Moore at WR and look formidable. But if they move to a three-wide receiver set, Tyler Scott, to this point, hasn’t proven that he can be a reliable WR3.

On the other side of the ball, an early down front of DeMarcus Walker, Gervon Dexter, Andrew Billings, and Montez Sweat should get the job done, but on passing downs, Billings comes off the field, Walker bumps inside, but they currently have no one except perhaps Jacob Martin to come in and try to rush the passer opposite Sweat.

Martin and Scott aren’t the answer at either position. If the Bears trade down, they could take an edge with their first-round selection and be confident a solid wide receiver will be there in round two and they could fill both holes.

But if there’s no trade-down partner to be had, what is the better option?

The Bears’ roster can probably hide the hole at wide receiver better than it can at edge, but the other factor is an important one: Caleb Williams.

You want to provide your rookie quarterback as much help as possible so he can settle into the role of franchise quarterback as comfortably and quickly as possible.

With that in mind, if Odunze is there, it’s going to be hard-pressed for Ryan Poles to pass on such a talent, but if all three wide receivers are off the board, the Bears may not see any of these edges as players they would want to take with a top ten selection.

If Odunze is there, the Bears should run the card in, but if all three of those elite WR prospects are gone, the best bet for Chicago might just be to trade down, grab the edge they need in the middle of round one, and find their WR3 in round 2 with the additional pick they will add.