Road to the Draft

What do a former quarterback and broadcaster, four-time American League all-star first baseman and long-time NFL head coach have in common? All three recognizable names were drafted by the Bears.

With the NFL Draft just one week away, we reviewed 15 recently-updated mock drafts to see what analysts think the Bears will do with the No. 9 selection.

Ever wonder what was being said about current Bears players before they entered the NFL? We dusted off some old draft previews, searched for familiar names and found out.

Senior writer Larry Mayer unearths interesting nuggets about the ninth overall selection in the NFL Draft, including the Hall of Fame middle linebacker the Bears chose at No. 9 in 2000.

With the NFL Draft just 14 days away, we reviewed 16 recently-updated mock drafts to see what analysts think the Bears will do with the No. 9 pick.

More than 40 NFL prospects who grew up or attended college in the Chicago area participated in the Bears' local pro day at Halas Hall in advance of the NFL Draft.

We perused 16 mock drafts that have been updated in the last week or so to see what NFL analysts think the Bears will do with the ninth overall selection.

While much of the pre-draft talk involves what the Bears will do at No. 1, they're confident they'll be able to land another top prospect at No. 9.

The Bears are continuing to do their due diligence on the top quarterback prospects ahead of April's NFL Draft.

Several NFL analysts have updated their mock drafts following the first couple waves of free agency. All 15 we perused expect the Bears to select USC quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1. But there's a difference of opinion about what general manager Ryan Poles will do with the No. 9 choice.