Bears make shocking pick in Daniel Jeremiah’s FINAL 2024 NFL Mock Draft

We’re nearing the time to say goodbye to the 2024 NFL Mock Drafts. The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft officially kicks off at 8 pm ET on Thursday, which sparked a flurry of “final” mock drafts from many of the most well-known draft analysts in the industry, including NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who went out with a bang for the Chicago Bears.

Jeremiah didn’t pull any stunts with the first overall pick, he sent Caleb Williams (QB, USC) to Chicago at No. 1.

“The Bears have been locked in on Williams for some time,” Jeremiah wrote. “They get their new face of the franchise.”

OK, great. Nothing to see here.

As for the ninth pick? Buckle your chinstrap, Jeremiah goes off the rails (sort of). He has the Chicago Bears taking Penn State offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, a player who hasn’t been mocked to the Bears (at all?) during the 2024 NFL draft cycle.

MORE: Pro Football Focus ranks Bears EXTREMELY high in pre-draft NFC Power Rankings

“I’m going with an OT here because GM Ryan Poles and assistant GM Ian Cunningham understand the importance of the offensive line, and I see Fashanu — Williams” high school teammate, by the way — as a massive upgrade over incumbent left tackle Braxton Jones,” Jeremiah wrote.

Look, no one will argue with the Bears taking a franchise-caliber left tackle with their second first-round pick. Fashanu began the 2024 NFL draft process as a prospect who some draft analysts thought could go as high as No. 2 overall. He’s suffered a bizarre slide down the top 10, and perhaps the Chicago Bears will view him as an incredible value with the ninth pick.

I just don’t see any way the Bears will pass on Rome Odunze (WR, Washington), who Daniel Jeremiah has going to the New York Jets one pick later at No. 10 overall. Yes, Chicago should (and likely will) use the ninth pick to support Caleb Williams, and selecting an offensive tackle accomplishes that goal. But with Keenan Allen entering 2024 on an expiring contract (and an ever advancing age), pairing Odunze with Williams is critical to the former Heisman Trophy quarterback reaching his maximum upside.

For Daniel Jeremiah’s complete mock draft,