Chicago Bears: 10 2020 NFL draft prospects who could start at RG in 2020
6. John Simpson, Clemson
John Simpson is another player who would have to move from a long-time left guard starter to a potential right guard as a rookie for the Chicago Bears. There is a transition, but this is the type of lineman the Bears may want. If they’re going to fix the run game, this is the guy to draft.
Simpson looks the part and is a downhill road grader.
His issue is that he is pretty slow off of the line of scrimmage. Take a look at the 3-cone and 20-yard shuttle times. He has great power and force in his legs, which shows in his jumps, but lacks agility and the ability to move side to side. This can often leave him beat off of the ball.
Here is what NFL.com has to say.
"Teams looking to add physicality up front will covet Simpson, but keep in mind he was plenty effective with scoop blocks, pulls, second-level climbs and even screen blocking, which shows the big man can move. Tardiness coming out of his stance and issues changing direction in pass protection are concerns that may not be easily fixed and could lead to matchup-based inconsistencies"
We have done a draft profile looking into the fit of Simpson with the Chicago Bears as well. The question with Simpson mainly comes down to when he would get drafted and how much they trust his projection from the left side to the right.
There is no doubt that if they want to find a run game boost, they have to be looking at Simpson.