The 2024 NFL Draft is quickly approaching and the Chicago Bears will likely be the team that controls the entire first night of the draft.

The Bears are currently armed with the first and ninth overall picks in the first round of the draft and can make some major splashes to kick off the draft.

What the Bears do with the first overall pick has widely be speculated as the front office will soon have to make the decision of whether or not they will select a quarterback with the top pick. However, the Bears' options with the ninth overall pick could be even more intriguing and sparsely discussed.

Here's some of the top prospects who have been potentially linked to the Bears' second selection in the first round of the draft.

Florida State EDGE Jared Verse

No matter what happens with the number one overall pick, the betting favorite for the Bears with the ninth overall pick is to add another pass rusher to complement defensive end Montez Sweat on the defensive line.

However, many experts and draft analysts are split between which top pass rusher the team could target with their second pick in the first round. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah linked Verse to the Bears in his first mock draft of the season noting that Verse is "the best power rusher in the draft" and will "be a great complement" to Sweat.

The Florida State pass rusher racked up 9.0 sacks and 12+ tackles for a loss in each of his two seasons with the program. Verse earned first-team AFCA All-American and All-ACC first-team honors in 2023 while helping lead the program to an undefeated season. His abilities mixed with the rest of the Bears' young defensive line could give Chicago a ferocious pass rush for years to come.

Georgia TE Brock Bowers

Another option for the Bears with their second first round pick will be adding an additional weapon on offense to build around either quarterback Justin Fields or the rookie quarterback selected with the top pick.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers would be an interesting name to consider and would entirely depend on what system the team runs on offense under their new offensive coordinator. The Bears already have a solid and young tight end in Cole Kmet, but if a two tight end system is in the works, Bowers would be a perfect match.

Our very own Destin Adams linked Bowers to the Bears earlier this week after having three wide receivers fall off the board in the top seven selections. Adams noted that the Bears could easily walk out with "two of the highest-graded prospects in this class" if this outcome comes true.

According to Jeremiah, Bowers "is going to be tricky to place in mock drafts" and 'the talent suggests he should be a top-five pick, but the debate about positional value could push him down" in the draft. If he indeed slides down the board, the Bears will have another difficult decision to make.

Washington WR Rome Odunze

A dream come true in the first round will be if Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze becomes available by the time the Bears are back on the clock. The team will be in desperate need of adding another wide receiver on offense and Odunze could be the perfect player to line up alongside wide receiver DJ Moore.

This ideal outcome is exactly what I had mocked for the Bears during my second crack at the team's potential draft haul earlier this week. Odunze will be an immediate upgrade at the position for whichever quarterback is under center in 2024.

The Huskies' wide receiver led the nation with 1,640 receiving yards in 2023 and earned first-team All-America honors. He's ranked as ESPN's Mel Kiper's No. 5 overall player and No. 2 wide receiver entering the draft.

UCLA EDGE Laiatu Latu

Another option at pass rusher with a wide draft projection is UCLA's Laiatu Latu. The former Bruins' star defender has been mocked anywhere from the Top-10 to the late teens. He's another player who could easily be on the Bears' radar.

Latu had his most productive season of his career in 2023 totaling 21.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles in 12 games played. Latu joined the Bruins in 2022 after playing at Washington during his first two seasons.

He was awarded the Lombardi Award in 2023, given to the nation's best defensive lineman, and was named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. Kiper had Latu ranked as the No. 10 overall player and the top-ranked outside linebacker in the class.

I had Latu linked to the Bears in my first mock draft for the team that was released last week. He's a viable option to pair on the Bears' defensive line to help create even more havoc for opposing quarterbacks.

Bears Mock Draft Monday: A new QB takes over in Chicago

A different approach to the Bears’ draft