One thing everybody knows is Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has better connections to the Chicago Bears than almost any other insider. So when he mentioned something in columns he rights, it’s important to remember he’s likely doing it with some good idea of what the team is really thinking. Last year, in his final mock draft, he had the Bears taking a tackle. That proved correct. He indicated before almost everybody that the team was moving on from Justin Fields and taking a quarterback at #1. This is why it is interesting to see where their thinking might be for the 9th pick just over a week from now.
Biggs released his latest mock draft, which featured a new twist. The first two followed the widespread belief that Chicago would stay at #9 and take one of the top wide receivers. This time, things were different. He had the Bears trading down a couple of spots. From there, he pulled another surprise twist by bypassing the wide receiver and pass rushers in favor of another offensive tackle, one they likely see as a replacement for Braxton Jones on the left side.
“Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
The Bears could be leaning offense with their second pick after Caleb Williams, and that means a choice between a receiver and protection for the quarterback. Fautanu is athletic and moves well and could step in as the Day 1 starter at left tackle, giving the Bears young bookend tackles and an upgrade over Braxton Jones.”
Remember, GM Ryan Poles loves big athletes. The Washington left tackle is both of those things. He’s 6’4, 317 lbs, and boasts 34-inch arms. His 32.5-inch vertical jump and 1.71 time in the 10-yard split were better than Darnell Wright’s combine numbers. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) was 9.45, ranking him 72nd of 1,293 offensive tackles drafted since 1987. A popular comparison for him is Los Angeles Chargers left tackle Rashawn Slater, who made the Pro Bowl in 2021. Fautanu actually has longer arms, too.
So, yeah. His name coming up feels interesting. Poles knows he has a young quarterback coming in, but they’ve already upgraded the receiving corps with the arrival of Keenan Allen via trade. If they feel Fautanu is a true upgrade over Jones, drafting him makes plenty of sense. Few things are more valuable in the NFL than a reliable left tackle. The critical issue with Fautanu is his technique. While a tremendous brawler who plays through every whistle, he can get caught out of position at times due to inconsistent fundamentals. Those would have to be ironed out.
