Caleb Williams workout buddy makes Bears plan for No. 9 pick obvious

The Chicago Bears own the No. 1 and No. 9 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. We already know their plans for the first pick. We won't get official confirmation until Roger Goodell reads out his name on Thursday night, but USC quarterback Caleb Williams will be the Bears' first selection. He will take over for Justin Fields, who was dealt to the Pittsburgh Steelers last month.

As for No. 9, there is decidedly less clarity. The Bears could opt to address several needs on both sides of the football. Some think Chicago should beef up the O-line. Others think it's time to improve the WR room around D.J. Moore.

On Tuesday, we received potential insight into the Bears' plans. Two projected top-10 picks wound up on the same flight to Detroit for the draft: Caleb Williams and Washington WR Rome Odunze. More than that, however, Williams and Odunze recently worked out together, per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.

Potential Bears picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze work out together ahead of NFL Draft

It's not hard to read the tea leaves here. Most of these prospects are around the same age and grew up playing each other or at least passively aware of each other, so there could be more to this relationship. Both hail from Pac-12 schools (RIP) and faced each other in conference competition multiple times.

That said, Williams has been preparing for the Bears to draft him for months. Odunze had a top-30 visit with Chicago and is a popular pick at No. 9 in various mock drafts. This feels like a little more than a coincidence or a new friendship from the pre-draft circuit. Maybe this is forecasting, or maybe Williams and Odunze are attempting to nudge Chicago in a certain direction.

It only makes sense for Chicago to follow up the Williams pick with pass-catching help. The Bears' WR room was a mess last season. D.J. Moore can still offer Pro Bowl-level contributions, but he can't work alone. Odunze doesn't offer the same raw athletic tools as others in his range (Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers) but he's built strong with a fundamentally-sound approach that should win over scouts.

Odunze's senior campaign at Washington was majestic. He had the privilege of catching bombs from Heisman runner-up and projected first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., reeling in 92 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns across 15 games. Odunze finished his final campaign averaging 17.8 yards per catch.

He has the size, physicality, and first step to offer Chicago a dynamic vertical threat on the outside. Williams has one of the strongest arms in recent memory, and the mobility to extend plays and create explosive outcomes.

This could be a perfect match. There's no guarantee that Odunze even falls to Chicago in the No. 9 spot, as several teams in the 4-8 range (Arizona, LA Chargers, NY Giants) need WR help, too. If he does land in the Bears' lap, however, Odunze is probably the best possible outcome. Caleb Williams seems to agree.