NEWSLETTER
Flipping the calendar to April means I’ll start taking reports of the Chicago Bears having interest in specific prospects more seriously than I did in the past. And with that being said, I’m looking forward to adding names to the list of potential Bears fits.
For instance, Sportskeeda’s Tony Pauline has the details on Chicago’s football team showing interest in Troy Fautanu as a possible trade-back option. Pauline, who has been in the trenches reporting draft and prospect nuggets for as long as I can remember, is someone to follow this time of year because of scoops like this:
“Fatanu was meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders after the workout. The Chicago Bears have also shown an interest in the talented blocker, so keep him on the radar if they trade out of the 9th spot.”
Well, those few sentences bring some intrigue to the table for me.
There is a part of me that thinks that Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles should take the best player available at No. 9. After all, this team won’t be picking in the top 10 for a long time if quarterback Caleb Williams lives up to the prospect hype. But I can’t deny the value that comes with having a ton of draft capital. And that can come only in a trade down from the No. 9 pick.
Who is Troy Fautanu and why should the Bears be interested?
Because the NFL Draft is truly unpredictable, Chicago’s best plan might be to trade down, accumulate picks, and take Troy Fautanu in the process. For what it’s worth, Matt Rooney’s latest mock draft has the Washington offensive lineman going 16th to the Seattle Seahawks. Here’s the skinny on Fautanu:
Fautanu has been fast-rising up NFL Draft boards so far this offseason, and his fit with the Seahawks seems too perfect. He was a tackle at Washington but probably projects more as an interior lineman at the NFL level. The Seahawks can give him a look at multiple positions and see where he fits best. Fautanu feels like a lock to be a rock-solid NFL offensive lineman; it just feels like a matter of where.
Troy Fautanu was a first-team All-Pac-12 member in 2023 and a second-team all-conference performer in 2022. Last season, he also won the Morris Trophy — which was awarded annually in the Pac-12 as the best offensive and defensive lineman in the conference as chosen by rival players. In other words, winners of that award have the respect of their peers.
OK, the idea of drafting Troy Fautanu has my attention. The positional versatility along the offensive line is something I value. Considering how much time guards Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis missed last year, having a top-notch reserve wouldn’t be the worst thing. Plus, if the Bears want to slow-play Fautanu’s development, they could wait out the Jenkins and Davis contract situations, use the 2024 season as a redshirt campaign of sorts, and then give Fautanu full-time reps as soon as 2025. I don’t think that would be the best use of a draft pick or roster spot in 2024, but it is an option that is feasible on some level.
In the end, I keep circling back to this being such a fascinating nugget from Pauline. Not just because of the trade-back possibility that he alludes to in the post. But also the direct mention of Troy Fautanu. For me, I’m reading this as a sign the Bears are open to taking an offensive lineman early in the draft. Maybe they’d stand pat if Notre Dame’s Joe Alt or Penn State’s Olu Fashanu were still available. But maybe the team sees several of those first-round linemen in the same tier and views trading back as an option that satisfies filling a need and adding picks.
Of course, the Bears could still take a player at a different position. Perhaps a top-tier wide receiver. Or maybe taking the best defensive player in the draft piques their interest. But maybe Poles sees the No. 9 spot as an ideal spot to trade-down. I like that the Bears have options here. Good options, too. And one of them could be drafting Troy Fautanu. Stay tuned.
