On draft night, all eyes will be on the Chicago Bears. Everyone knows who the Bears are taking with the number one pick, and there’s no debate on that. However, the real excitement lies in their second selection at pick nine. There’s a case to make for the Bears drafting a wide receiver, edge rusher, or trading back. Yet, there’s also draft buzz about the possibility of the Bears taking an unexpected route surprising the NFL world.
Chicago Bears Could Make Surprise Move In 2024 NFL Draft
Drafting JC Latham At Pick 9
There’s a legitimate case for drafting JC Latham with the ninth overall pick. Yes, he played right tackle at Alabama, and the Bears already have a stud right tackle in Darnell Wright. However, Latham expressed his interest in playing left tackle in the NFL. He understands that left tackles, in comparison to right tackles, are the ones who get drafted earlier and are usually paid more in the NFL. For example, left tackles in his class, like Joe Alt and Olumuyiwa Fashanu, are expected to get drafted before him. Nevertheless, Latham believes that he is versatile enough to play left tackle.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that JC Latham is scheduled to meet with the Bears on April 9th and 10th. It’s rare for a Top 30 visit to last two days, so what makes Latham so special? For starters, Latham is exceptionally nimble on his feet for his height and size at 6’6, 360 pounds. He bursts off the snap with exceptional lateral agility, enabling him to keep pace with pass rushers. Latham also has robust strength, which he uses to contain defenders and drive them into the turf. With these attributes, he demonstrates the potential to emerge as the NFL’s next elite tackle.
Alabama RT JC Latham #NFLDraft
The strongest player in the 2024 draft. Combined with above average athleticism & length, Latham checks all the boxes & deserves to be mentioned with Fashanu & Alt in the debate for top overall tackle. My Scouting Report 📽️🔊:#BuildingTheBoard pic.twitter.com/D8E2Ck5hZ7
— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) December 13, 2023
What JC Latham Means For The Chicago Bears Draft
The Bears already have a solid left tackle in Braxton Jones. That doesn’t mean they can look to upgrade at the position. Just like the Bears decided to upgrade at quarterback by trading Justin Fields and presumably drafting Caleb Williams, the same can be said at left tackle. Left tackle is arguably the most important position on offense aside from quarterback, and without a solid blindside protector, it’s hard to have a functioning offense. Having two franchise tackles on rookie contracts is remarkable, especially if they are both absolute maulers.
It’s not a foregone conclusion that Latham would play left tackle if the Bears drafted him. The Bears might prefer to move Wright to left tackle and keep Latham at right tackle or even utilize Latham at guard. One thing is certain: Latham is an exceptional athlete who will flourish at any spot on the offensive line.
Although Jones is a good player, he isn’t an All-Pro or Pro Bowl-caliber player. The Bears can trade Jones now while he has high value or keep him as a swing tackle. Both options are a massive win for the Bears, as they will either get decent draft capital or have one of the best swing tackles in the NFL.
Main Photo: Gary Cosby – USA Today Sports
