Joel Iyiegbuniwe plans to graduate from Western Kentucky’s pre-med program in May, and he hopes to one day attend medical school to become a pediatrician.

But first he has an NFL stop to make.

The Bears selected the 6-foot-1, 229-pound linebacker Saturday with the 15th pick in the fourth round (No. 115) of the NFL draft.

Iyiegbuniwe, who lived in Bolingbrook as a child before moving to Kentucky, was surprised the Bears picked him because he had no contact with them in the pre-draft process. He provided this self-scouting report.

“You’re getting a linebacker who has speed, good change of direction, can cover and can play in space,” he said. “If you need me to rush the passer, I can do that as well.”

Connect the dots: Bilal Nichols, a 6-4, 306-pound defensive lineman, was informed by fellow Delaware product Nagy that the Bears drafted him in the fifth round.

Nichols has a close relationship with Bears first-year offensive assistant Brian Ginn, who was on Delaware’s staff prior to Nagy’s arrival in Chicago. Nichols had 51/2 sacks and 61/2 tackles for a loss in 2017.

Good Fitts? Injuries limited sixth-round pick Kylie Fitts in each of his last two seasons at Utah, so the 6-4, 263-pound outside linebacker knew he would have to answer questions about durability.

After totaling eight tackles for a loss and seven sacks as a sophomore, he played in just two games in 2016 before a Lisfranc fracture in his foot required season-ending surgery. His 2017 season was limited by an ankle sprain and AC joint sprain in his shoulder.

Fitts eased some worries with a strong combine performance, and Pace said the Bears were comfortable with Fitts medically before drafting him in the sixth round.

Tribune reporter Rich Campbell contributed.

ckane@chicagotribune.com