Bear Digest

Why Another Round 1 Bears Offensive Lineman Makes Sense

There are plenty of reasons not to dismiss another tackle or even center from the options the Bears are considering in pick No. 9 overall.

Gene Chamberlain

Center Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon could make an ideal Bears draft pick if they traded back in Round 1, even if they have a chance a top receiver or pass rusher,
Center Jackson Powers-Johnson of Oregon could make an ideal Bears draft pick if they traded back in Round 1, even if they have a chance a top receiver or pass rusher, / Craig Strobeck-USA TODAY Sports
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It almost causes a sigh, cringe or even sneer when the topic is brought up, but it's this way anywhere in the NFL at draft time.

Taking an offensive lineman appeals to the caveman side of NFL fans but those less involved in the sport's intricacies rarely enjoy it because it's not a quarterback, receiver or pass rusher.

Last year, Darnell Wright's selection bothered few because anything that would keep Justin Fields propped upright was viewed as necessary.

Now Fields is in Pittsburgh and the Bears have two decent tackles.

They could always get better there but the thought they would spend the ninth pick on a blocker when one of the top three receivers are available, or top pass rusher, seems wasteful when they have sufficiency at tackle. This seems especially true at defensive end, where they lack a second quality pass rusher.

It isn't a ridiculous notion, though, at least not when the top pick is going to be quarterback Caleb Williams.

Besides, they have done their due diligence with offensive linemen in the draft through Top 30 visits.

Tackle JC Latham of Alabama, tackle Tyler Guyton from Oklahoma, centers Zach Frazier from West Virginia, Jackson Powers-Johnson from Oregon and Graham Barton from Duke all had 30 visits.

When you're picking ninth and the goal is not to be choosing a player next year so early in the draft, then the Bears want to make this one really count and an offensive lineman doesn't seem like the place to be considering they've drafted starting tackles in each of GM Ryan Poles' two drafts.

It could be and here are the reason why.

1. Caleb Williams

His running and scrambling ability often get lost in his playmaking as a passer but he also confounded teams with a knack for picking up needed yards on the ground. Still, he's small at 6-foot-1 1/8, 214 pounds. His weight is bottom 25% for QBs at all combines. He's going to need to be protected, and better than Jutin Fields was. Fields would just run out of the pocket. The Bears offensive line got blamed too much for 50 or more sacks allowed the last three seasons when some of this had to do with Fields holding the ball too long. But Fields was able to avoid sacks, too, because of his running ability. Williams is going to stay behind the line longer and buy time with his feet to throw. The pass blocking needs to become special to let the phenom passer flourish.

2. Shane Waldron

Their new offensive coordinator might require something different of offensive linemen than Luke Getsy's system did. There is the possibility they might go to more gap blocking and less wide zone blocking in the running game. Waldron takes his lead from mentor Sean McVay and that's how McVay's offense has developed since his earlier days with the Rams. They should be able to block either scheme with the size and speed of linemen they currently have. They brought in a center who knows Waldron's offense in Coleman Shelton but someone younger and more powerful might be preferable.

3. Current Guard Unreliability

Teven Jenkins has played in only 31 of a possible 51 games and started only 24. While Pro Football Focus had him graded out very high for blocking ability, availability is the best ability. He hasn't been able to stay healthy, and it's always something. Nate Davis came over for $31 million last year from Tennessee and both injuries and the death of his mother led to a season when the Bears didn't see a player they thought they had seen with the Titans.

4. Current Tackle Performance

While the Bears have a pair of starting tackles some of the tackles could be better options than left tackle starter Braxton Jones. PFF saw Jones as a far better run blocker in his first season than last year, and a slightly better pass blocker this season than in 2022. While he had respectable grades, they were only slightly above middle of the pack. If the Bears wanted a more effective blocker on the blind side in place of Jones, it would be understandable. In fact, it's not entirely out of the question they would want to move Darnell Wright to guard and draft another right tackle. He had a solid rookie season and made the all-rookie team but had moments when he was schooled by pass rushers. Whether Jones would be easily converted to a guard is an uncertainty since he had little exposure to the position, but Williams' physique, weight and athleticism would make him an easy guard candidate, especially in a gap scheme.

5. Draft Talent Abundance

I NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein rated tackle the deepest position in this draft for talent.

"Teams' draft boards will vary, as there are several flavors of tackle to choose from, but we should see at least seven tackles picked in the first round with starters still to be found on Day 2 and quality depth lasting into the fifth round," he wrote.

Tevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus agreed about the line crop's overall strength, especially with tackles.

"In 2008, eight offensive tackles were drafted in the first round," he wrote. "The 2024 offensive tackle class has a chance to tie that number."

Several of these are tackles who are borderline for the position due to shorter arms but capable of starting interior at guard.

It could come down to getting while the getting is good.

6. Poles

He was an offensive lineman and his strength so far has been drafting offensive linemen and also defensive backs. He hasn't drafted a quarterback yet and it's easy to make the case the receivers he has brought in have had more negative impact than positive.

7. Due Diligence

In performing their predraft work, the Bears have covered the possibility of a trade back in Round 1 from No. 9 and many of the players they've brought to Halas Hall for visits are players who project as possibilities later in the first round where a team might wind up if they trade back. Especially considering their need for a center, and with Powers-Johnson
expected to go later in Round 1, lit looks like a possibility. They brought in Shelton but he was only a middle-of-the-pack starter at best. Former Bills center/guard Ryan Bates was added and is a backup who has been mainly a guard and made only 203 snaps at center.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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