Chicago Bears Select Oregon Center Hroniss Grasu in Round 3
January 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks offensive lineman Hroniss Grasu (55) against the Florida State Seminoles in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears bolstered their offensive line by selecting Oregon center Hroniss Grasu in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft. Grasu and Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long are “best friends” which will be a key to the dynamics of the offensive line:
I wonder how Jordan Mills fits in? He was one of Long’s BFF’s when the two came in as rookies.
The last time the Bears drafted a starting center, they picked a Pac-10 center, selecting Washington Husky Olin Kreutz in the 3rd round of the 1998 NFL Draft. That worked out pretty well.
Grasu comes in with some impressive stats:
New Bears C Hroniss Grasu had the highest run blocking grade against Power 5 Opponents of all Cs in this draft class
— PFF (@PFF) May 2, 2015
At 6’3″ and 297 pounds, Grasu might not be big enough to play guard, but projects well at center. The Bears jettisoned veteran center Roberto Garza and signed 32-year old Will Montgomery in free agency. I fully expect Grasu to compete for a starting job at center. Here’s CBS Sports’ scouting report:
"STRENGTHS: Sports a pro-ready NFL frame with good weight distribution. He generally plays with very good initial quickness. Shows impressive lateral agility and balance to recover. He plays low to the ground and locks out well, showing good functional strength absorb the bull rush.He’s an ideal match in Oregon’s zone-blocking offense due to his agility when blocking on the move. Grasu is quick to get to the second level and can adjust to hit and sustain against a moving target.WEAKNESSES: Can be caught flat-footed, on occasion. Can be guilty of trying to do too much when he senses a blitz up the middle, trying (sometimes in vane) to slow two defenders, rather than stoning one of them and relying on teammates. Grasu has a bad habit of dropping his head on contact (which provides defenders an easy swim move over the top. Underwent surgery on his left leg in November, 2014 that ended the regular season of his senior campaign prematurely. The surgery, though characterized as “minor” will require an NFL check-up."
CBS compared Grasu to former Ducks center Max Unger, who’s had a pretty successful NFL run.
What do you think of the pick? Would you rather the Bears gone another way in the 3rd round?