This 2024 NFL Draft Pick would be a surprising choice for Chicago Bears

The 2024 NFL Draft is only a few hours away, and rumors are already starting to circulate. For the Chicago Bears, the rumors revolve around their ninth pick in the draft. Caleb Williams is projected to be the first overall pick, so the question is whether the Bears will pair him up with a prolific wide receiver, a big offensive tackle, or bolster their already young and improved defense with a defensive player. It's also possible that if the player they want at the ninth pick is not available, they could trade back.

The Chicago Bears have a great opportunity to select two high-impact players in the upcoming draft. There is a lot of buzz around a particular player who is thought to be a potential pick at nine for the Bears. His name is Olu Fashanu.

Olu Fashanu is a promising offensive tackle prospect from Penn State University. He played for three years at Penn State and made every year count. According to PFF, Fashanu played only four games in his first year, but he did not allow a single quarterback pressure. His stellar performance continued into his second year, where he played 542 snaps at left tackle and allowed six quarterback hurries, one quarterback hit, and no sacks. In his final season as a Nittany Lion, Fashanu continued to impress, allowing only ten quarterback hurries in 12 games, with no hits or sacks.

Although Fashanu is a fantastic prospect he hasn't always been perceived as a top choice for the Chicago Bears. For the last month or so a lot of the buzz around the ninth pick has surrounded Rome Odunze, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, and even some late buzz from Byron Murphy.

So why is Fashanu becoming such a popular pick for the Bears at nine? In a recent interview, Caleb Williams gave his opinion on who he would like to see picked at nine, and one of his answers was Olu Fashanu. Williams and Fashanu were teammates in high school and both have had great things to say about each other during this draft process.

Now, the biggest question that remains is whether the last-second buzz surrounding Fashanu is an overreaction to Williams' interview, or if Williams has an influence over the decisions made by the Bears' front office. With the draft only a few hours away, we will soon find out. However, getting another blue-chip tackle to protect Williams would be a great addition and hard to be upset about.