Arizona Wildcats Star Lineman Lands With Emerging NFC Team in Mock Draft
The 2024 college football season has not gone according to plan for the Arizona Wildcats.
Their loss at BYU in Week 7 dropped their record to 3-3, as they are now 1-2 in Big 12 play. This matches their total number of losses from last year, highlighting how this has been a major disappointment at the midseason mark.
There is a lot of work to be done for head coach Brent Brennan to get this group on track.
There are clear needs of improvement, as the team has been unable to build off the positive momentum that came from defeating the Utah Utes two weeks ago.
While the focus remains on the 2024 campaign, this offseason is going to create some massive holes in the team’s roster.
Despite their struggles, the Wildcats are projected to have several players picked in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft.
One of those players is versatile offensive lineman, Jonah Savaiinaea.
In a recent mock draft done by Jordan Reid of ESPN, he has the talented big man being selected at No. 18 by the Chicago Bears.
“Savaiinaea -- who reminds me of Jordan Morgan, a 2024 first-rounder from Arizona -- is a physical blocker with experience at multiple spots up front. He plays with a strong base and quick-enough feet in pass protection, and is developing into a dependable right tackle. But I have Savaiinaea projected as a guard with tackle flexibility at the next level. He'd give the Bears a plug-and-play option along the interior and help build a wall in front of Caleb Williams,” the NFL draft analyst wrote.
That kind of flexibility is what will help push Savaiinaea into the first round.
If he is viewed as an interior player, as Reid suggested, and not a tackle, it could knock him down a few spots.
But, he is squarely in the mix to be selected in the middle of the first round regardless of what position teams at the next level view him as playing across the offensive line.
For the Bears, the goal now and moving forward is to make things as easy for their franchise quarterback as possible. Upgrading in the trenches and ensuring Caleb Williams is protected should be goal No. 1 to help keep him healthy.
General manager Ryan Poles has done a wonderful job of turning things around over the last few years. This would be a pick to help the team continue in that direction of returning to relevancy in the NFC North.
