Caleb Williams is going #1 overall to the Chicago Bears. Everybody has accepted this reality. What nobody can agree on is what they do with the 9th overall pick. Mock drafts are all over the place. Some predict GM Ryan Poles targeting a wide receiver. Others believe he goes for a pass rusher. Both sides have merits to their argument. Head coach Matt Eberflus said it best. Their focus is entirely on players who can either help the quarterback or affect the quarterback. One position that might not be getting enough attention is left tackle.
Though the Bears appear happy with Braxton Jones’ progress over the past two years, Poles has said he will never shy away from investing in players if he feels they make the team better. Many experts agree this is one of the better offensive tackle classes to come around over the past few years. Multiple scouts for Bleacher Report ran down the group and pinpointed a specific name who fits the Bears’ style and preferences.
Penn State left tackle Olu Fashanu.
“Rarely does such a nuanced, unnatural and learned bag of skills like a pass set look as instinctive for an offensive lineman as it did for Olu Fashanu the first time he stepped onto a collegiate field as a 19-year-old true sophomore during the 2022 season.
It became immediately clear that Penn State found something special in its left tackle with his innate feel in his snap timing, positioning and footwork through the 2023 season.
Fashanu’s 45-degree angled pass set is precise, consistent and balanced with a firm grasp on how to remain square to his spot to prevent the dreaded “soft inside shoulder” that so often plagues tackles.
Potential Fit: Chicago Bears“
It is interesting they noted this.
The view around Fashanu is he’s the best pass protector in the class and has a high ceiling to get even better at 21 years old. Most of his issues are strictly related to inconsistent fundamentals. Those can be coached up. Where it gets even better is he has direct ties to Williams. The two of them were teammates in high school, according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.
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“He chose Gonzaga College High School, a Catholic all-boys prep school, and his family rented an apartment in
Northwest Washington that overlooked Gonzaga’s football field. Williams won the starting quarterback job on varsity as a freshman and was teammates with left
tackle Olu Fashanu.”
Caleb Williams reuniting with Fashanu would be quite a story.
People seem mixed on where the Penn State left tackle will land. After looking like a top 10 pick throughout the 2023 season, it seems as if his stock has cooled slightly. Current projections have him going somewhere in the early to late teens. This would make him a prominent target for the Bears if they wanted to trade down from #9 first. Notable players he’s been compared to include D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Penei Sewell, and Kolton Miller. All three of those players had or are having strong NFL careers.
After the constant heat he faced during his final year at USC, one can safely assume Caleb Williams is all for improving his protection. Reuniting with Fashanu would be the icing on the cake. There is one issue. The biggest knock on the young tackle is his below-average ability as a run blocker. While he has more than enough power in his frame, he doesn’t seem to utilize it effectively. Chicago wants to be a physical team on the ground, so it may come down to whether they think such an issue can be fixed.
It’s worth noting the same problem was mentioned about Darnell Wright. He figured it out.
I am not overly impressed with the three main Bears tackles, Cs, or RGs. They are not playoff quality, yet.
It’s amazing how many Erik Lambert readers think there is some huge gap between the Bears three offensive tackles: Larry Borom, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright. Below are each player’s NFL Career stats: Penalty occururence rate; Sack to Pass Play%; and also his Pressure to Pass Play percentage. Can any of you identify the player; or discern a compelling reason to place one above the other? Player Penalty% Sack% Pressure% A. 0.83% 1.43% 7.85% B. 1.19% 0.93% 7.48% C. 0.98% 1.08% 7.89% Equally amazing is that Erik Lambert readers think the Bears tackles are more than “average” NFL starting OTs.… Read more »
@Veece —
Braxton Jones is listed by PFF as the 35th OT out of 81 eligible offensive tackles, based upon his 2023 performance.
For a quick comparison: Charles Leno was listed as OT #28 of 81 — for the 2023 season.
Braxton’s overall grade: 68.8
Leno’s overall grade: 72.5
Penei Sewell’s grade: 92.8
The Bears young OTs have a long way to go before they receive that gold HOF jacket.
No pressing need for LT with Braxton as 6th-ranked OT on PFF. Unless the prospect is the next HOFer Anthony Munoz, don’t fix what ain’t broke. Focus on what is weak like Center or RG, reliable speed WR, FS…
As most of us have said, grab Turner or one of the Top 3 WRs, else trade down and take JPJ, Thomas or one of the speedy Texas receivers.
LT = (1) Alt (2) Fashanu (3) Fantanu (4) Guyton. Caleb knows a lot about 2 & 4. They will provide him with extra support in multiple ways.