Draft’s ‘Most Dangerous Playmaker’ Breaks Silence on Bears, Ex-Teammate DJ Moore

Getty Wide receiver DJ Moore of the Chicago Bears.

The NFL draft is just around the corner, and the faces of teams like the Chicago Bears are about to change.

Exactly how is hard to say for most teams outside of Chicago, who analysts are almost uniformly projecting to select QB Caleb Williams out of USC with the first overall selection. But elements of mystery remain when it comes to how else the Bears might improve their aesthetic via the 9th pick.

A wide receiver is possible, with Washington’s Rome Odunze among the possible candidates. His contemporary at Ohio State, one Marvin Harrison Jr., is almost certain to come off the board before Chicago makes its second choice inside the top 10, though there has been some speculation that the Bears might at least try to trade up from No. 9 to make a play for Harrison.

The wideout, son of Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr., spoke to the possibility of landing in Chicago and reuniting with Bears star pass-catcher DJ Moore.

“That’d be surreal to be teammates with him after knowing each other for so long,” Harrison said, per Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun Times on Wednesday, April 24. “I think we’d do great things together on the field.”

Bears Likely Must Mortgage Entire Draft Outside of 1st Pick to Trade Up for Marvin Harrison Jr.

GettyFormer Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Harrison and Moore didn’t play football together growing up, though the two were part of the same track team in Philadelphia during their youth.

“I grew up with Marvin Harrison,” Moore said during a locker room interview in early January. “We ran on the same track team, so. I mean, whatever we do — we get him, it’ll be all love. If we don’t, if we go a different route, I mean, what can I do about it?”

There may not be much the Bears can do about it either, as making a play for Harrison will probably cost them their remaining draft capital in 2024 and also require that the team dip into its 2025 coffers as well.

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated on April 10 entertained the notion of Chicago grabbing Harrison via a trade up.

Chicago has improved its roster under GM Ryan Poles, to the point where there aren’t a ton of needs necessitating having 10 or 12 picks in the draft.

That said, the Chicago Bears have just four picks in this year’s draft, with the next one after 9 at 75. … So let’s say they deal up with the [Los Angeles] Chargers, who are sitting at five, to get Harrison. Per the Jimmy Johnson draft chart, there’s a 350-point gap between the fifth and ninth picks. The 55th pick in the draft is worth 350 points. The 75th and 122nd picks, which are the two the Bears have outside of No. 1 and No. 9, are worth 265 points. Which means, to make that move, the Bears probably have to either clean out this year’s picks, and add something from next year, or fork over a premium 2025 selection. That’s why it’s difficult to see it happening.

Marvin Harrison Jr. Consensus Top Non-QB Prospect in NFL Draft Class

GettyFormer Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Of course, a player like Harrison might be worth it to a team like Chicago on the brink of drafting a quarterback like Williams.

Jordan Reid of ESPN ranks Harrison as his No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 draft class, Williams and every other quarterback included.

“Harrison has rare body control, strong hands and great flexibility, putting him in line with the top receiver prospects we’ve seen this century,” Reid wrote. “Despite inconsistent QB play at Ohio State in 2023, he still managed to be arguably the most dangerous playmaker in the country, compiling 67 catches for 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns. He’s able to win in a variety of ways, showing the route-running skills of a smaller receiver. And Harrison is an instant-impact type of prospect with the potential to be a top-10 receiver in the NFL as early as his rookie season.”

Harrison comes in at third on the big boards of ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. and Field Yates, while their colleagues Matt Miller and Jeff Legwold rank the receiver second and first overall in the class, respectively. Scouts Inc. lists Harrison as the second-best prospect in the country behind only Williams.

While it is a long-shot the Bears will be able to pull off a deal for Harrison, the Arizona Cardinals have said they are willing to listen to offers for the No. 4 overall pick, which could be high enough to land him. Perhaps in an act of subterfuge, or simply in doing their due diligence, Chicago hosted Harrison to a pre-draft visit on April 8.