The Bears Could Move Up For Marvin Harrison Jr. Here’s What It May Cost
With the Chicago Bears only having four picks in the 2024 draft, most discussions have centered around two possibilities. Either they take Caleb Williams at #1 and the best player on their board at #9, or they take Williams and trade down from #9. Not enough people have contemplated the other possibility. Could Ryan Poles try to move up in the top 10 for another player? While there are multiple intriguing names in this class, experts agree the cleanest of them all is wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. People have had him pegged as a future star for two years. There is no way the Bears haven’t dreamt about pairing him with Williams.
The obvious question is how high they might have to go to make it happen. Initial projections have Harrison landing with the Arizona Cardinals at #4. However, if they trade down with a team coming up for a quarterback, then the spot to watch is the Los Angeles Chargers at #5. Rumors are they have interest in moving down, hoping to stockpile more picks to rebuild their aging and depleted roster. If the Bears wanted to go up, trade charts indicate it would take the equivalent of a late 2nd round pick to make a deal happen.
Obviously, the Bears have no 2nd round pick. However, they do have two in 2025. The last time someone traded down from #5 was 2012. Tampa Bay swapped with Jacksonville for #7 and a 4th round pick. With the quarterbacks out of the picture, the price tag to move up won’t be as steep.
It would be hard to judge the Bears for going after Marvin Harrison Jr.
While such a move would deplete their already barren inventory of draft picks, the potential payoff would be huge. Williams and Harrison are rated the #1 and #2 prospects on most people’s boards. Both are considered rare talents for their respective positions, too. Getting both of them in one swoop could set the Bears up for a level of offensive success they’ve never seen before. Harrison has a chance to be a true #1 receiver right away. The fact he’d be on the same field as D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen would be all kinds of unfair.
Does Poles have it in him to take such a swing? The Bears GM has never been afraid to take aggressive swings, but it’s hard to imagine him doing this. It’s not because he doesn’t think Marvin Harrison Jr. is a worthwhile pursuit. It is a simple case of not having the ammunition. Only having four picks in this draft already has Poles somewhat uncomfortable. Depleting that even further doesn’t sound like something he’d do. That said, if Harrison somehow slips into the right range, keep an eye out.