2023 NFL Draft: Using Odds to Predict Who the Bears Will Take With Their First-Round Pick

With the ninth overall pick, oddsmakers expect Chicago to take an offensive lineman.

The Chicago Bears have the ninth overall selection in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, having moved down from the No. 1 overall spot after a blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers. The Bears have been busy this offseason, adding draft picks and players like DJ Moore, D’Onta Foreman and Robert Tonyan. The team also added Nate Davis to improve their offensive line, but that unit still needs more work.

The folks at SI Sportsbook seem to agree, as the Bears are favored to go with an offensive lineman at -188. As you might expect, offensive lineman is also at the top of the team’s first-round needs at Sports Illustrated. Every other position is at plus money, with defensive lineman coming in second at +175 and wideout at +800.

What Position Will the Bears Select in the First Round?

Offensive Lineman -188

Defensive Lineman +175

Wide Receiver +800

Cornerback +1000

Running Back +2000

Tight End +5000

Safety +5000

Linebacker +10000

Quarterback: +10000

Odds via SI Sportsbook

Brad Mills/USA Today Sports

The Bears should have their choice of the best offensive linemen in the draft, as only the Las Vegas Raiders are projected to potentially go in that direction over the first eight picks. According to Sports Illustrated’s Top 100 big board, the best options are Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. and Broderick Jones out of Georgia. The former two have been the most popular choices in mock drafts.

Chicago hasn’t drafted an offensive lineman in the first round since 2011 (Gabe Carini, Wisconsin), but two of their last 10 first-rounders have been offensive tackles. The other was Chris Williams, who went No. 14 overall out of Vanderbilt in 2008.

For those who want to take a chance on a long shot, running back could be it. While the team has Foreman, Khalil Herbert and Travis Homer, there have been some rumors the Bears could draft Texas’ Bijan Robinson at No. 9. At +2000, that would be quite the payoff. The top seven teams in Round 1 don’t need a back, so it might boil down to the Falcons or the Bears taking the top runner in the class.

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