5 Bears Draft Targets to Watch at the Senior Bowl

4. Laiatu Latu, Edge, UCLA

Latu likely would have been a lock to be selected in the top five if it wasn't for his injury history. He suffered a neck injury in 2021 while at Washington that forced him away from the sport and there were real questions if he would ever play football again. Well, not only did he return to play but he has been arguably the best edge in college football over the past two seasons at UCLA.

The 2023 Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year tallied 85 tackles, 23.5 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two interceptions over two seasons at UCLA. He can win with both finesse and power making him one of the draft's best defenders. The biggest question mark will be that neck injury which will surely be the talk of his experience during Senior Bowl week. He doesn't need an amazing game on Saturday as he already has the tape to show scouts what he is capable of.

If the Bears want to grab Latu, they will need to use their ninth overall selection or at least not trade out of the top 15 as that is likely where he lands.