Chicago Bears taking a receiver at No. 9 may depend on the New York Giants

Where the New York Giants go with their first-round pick will heavily impact the Chicago Bears’ chances at a top-tier receiver.

Many Chicago Bears faithful are hopeful of a pairing between future quarterback Caleb Williams and a top-tier receiver from this year’s draft. The 3 considered to be major targets are Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Rome Odunze. It’s projected that they will all fall somewhere around the top ten, so the Bears will be hopeful there is a receiver left for them if they are thinking of going the receiver route.

It remains difficult to predict which teams will target a wide receiver early in the first round. The Arizona Cardinals are projected to take top wide receiver prospect Marvin Harrison Jr. in most NFL mock drafts. While others are supposedly looking at alternative routes (quarterback being the most common alternative), it is entirely possible that teams higher on the draft board like the New England Patriots, Tenessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons, and others either target a receiver or shake things up by trading their pick. A potentially decisive pick lies with the New York Giants.

The New York Giants are another team projected to be in the wide receiver market early in this year’s draft. However, how they draft may play the biggest role in the Chicago Bears drafting a receiver at pick No.9. The Giants have been linked to receivers Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze. Both also being being linked with the Chicago Bears. An alternative route for the Giants is to trade up and draft a quarterback. Considering how shaky the Giants’ confidence in current QB1 Daniel Jones this is an entirely possible outcome.

One of the “indicators” on whether a WR will slide to the Bears at 9 is the NY Giants – especially if they trade up for a QB. If that happens, the Bears should get their receiver.

— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) April 24, 2024

Which receiver will most likely be a target if the Chicago Bears were to draft one at No.9

So if all receivers were available at their time to pick who would they choose? They would probably target the projected top receiver (or perhaps even the best overall player) Marvin Harrison Jr. However he will almost certainly be out of the picture by the time pick No.9 rolls around.

The Most likely options are LSU Receiver Malik Nabers, or Washington receiver Rome Odunze. Bleacher Report’s NFL scouting department and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler both had Nabers as the fit for the Giants at No. 6. While Rome Odunze has been linked with Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears over the last few days, and Odunze is the most common projection in recent mock drafts to be the Bears second-first round pick.