Three first-round draft picks from the 2024 NFL Draft faced off in the Chicago Bears' Divisional Round matchup with the Los Angeles Rams at Soldier Field last season. 

Quarterback Caleb Williams, wide receiver Rome Odunze and edge rusher Jared Verse. 

In the 2024 NFL Draft, the Bears had two top-10 picks, using the first overall selection on Williams and the No. 9 pick on Odunze. 

The Rams drafted Verse with the 19th overall pick. 

If Bears general manager Ryan Poles wanted to upgrade the team's pass rush in that 2024 draft, which was a major need at the time, he easily could have done so with the team's second first-round draft pick. 

Let's say you had the power to select the Bears' ninth overall pick in 2024, who would you take between Odunze and Verse? 

Before diving into the hypothetical question, it's best to remember what the team looked like going into the 2024 NFL Draft. 

The wide receiver position was headlined by DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, who the team had acquired by trading a 2024 fourth-round draft pick (No. 110 overall) to the Chargers. 

Chicago's receiver room also included Tyler Scott, Dante Pettis, Velus Jones Jr., Collin Johnson and Nsimba Webster. The Bears signed DeAndre Carter in mid June. 

Former head coach Matt Eberflus' defensive line had Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker as the starting defensive ends and Gervon Dexter SR. and Andrew Billings in the interior. 

The backups included Zacch Pickens, Dominque Robinson, Jacob Martin, Daniel Hardy, Austin Booker, Chris Williams, Byron Cowart, Jonathan Ford and Darrell Taylor, who the team traded for in August for a 2025 sixth-round pick. 

The Bears' receiver finished his rookie season with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns. He ended third on the team in receptions, yards and targets behind Moore and Allen. 

His 13.6 yards per receptions was the most on the Bears in 2024. 

Having Odunze develop with Williams during their rookie seasons made a lot of sense, especially for the long-term development of both players. Allen played out his final year of his contract in Chicago and returned to Los Angeles, giving Odunze more runway for his second season. 

And he started off on a heater in Year 2, catching 20 passes for 296 yards and five touchdowns. But the 6-foot-3, 214-pound receiver suffered a stress fracture in his foot in late October and was clearly not as effective. He finished the year with 44 receptions for 661 yards and six touchdowns. 

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound edge rusher ended his rookie year with 4.5 sacks, 76 total quarterback pressures (via PFF), 66 total tackles, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 17 games played. His 2024 campaign earned him the Associated Press NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. 

Verse followed up an impressive Year 1 with 7.5 sacks, 67 total quarterback pressures, 58 total tackles and three forced fumbles in his second NFL season. 

Over the last two seasons, Verse has registered 143 total quarterback pressures, fifth most in the NFL. Only Myles Garett (161), Micah Parsons (158), Danielle Hunter (158) and Josh Hines-Allen (147) have more pressures in the last two years. 

Unlike Verse, Odunze wasn't able to play a full season because of injury. Despite slowing down in October, Odunze still finished as one of the better receivers when it came to average separation last season. That's indicates precise route running and how coach Ben Johnson utilized Odunze in his offense. 

Factoring in Johnson's scheme with Odunze's talent must be accounted for in this debate. The Bears felt comfortable moving on from Moore because of Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland. Johnson clearly has a vision for the former No. 9 overall pick. 

And more importantly, the Bears drafted Odunze in 2024 with the plan to surround Williams with as much talent as possible. The Bears have struggled consistently in their team's history to develop a quarterback and adding weapons to go along with revamping the offensive line in Williams' second season helped him take significant strides in 2025. 

However, the Bears would be a better all-around team if they have selected Verse. 

There's a good chance that Moore is still on the Bears if Poles drafted the pass rusher at No. 9 overall, and let's just say the team selected Loveland and Burden in the 2025 NFL Draft. Again, we're dealing with hypotheticals here. 

Let's also be honest, the Bears probably wouldn't have signed defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo to a 3-year, $48 million contract with Verse on the roster. Who knows how that money could have been used. 

With Verse opposite of Sweat, the Bears would have two pass rushers that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can deploy in a variety of ways. Verse's ability to win in one-on-one matchups could open up opportunities for others. 

Would the majority of people still feel confident if Williams had a pass catching core of Moore, Burden, Loveland and Kmet in Johnson's offense in 2026? That's a productive group of playmakers to go along with a defense that has Verse, Sweat, Jaylon Johnson, Devin Bush, Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman. 

It's an interesting exercise to consider and both sides can make a compelling case. Obviously, the Bears wanted Odunze and are confident in the young receiver's development as he prepares for his second season in Johnson's offense and third year in the NFL.