The Chicago Bears finally took an offensive lineman in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Ryan Pace found depth for his offensive line in the 2020 NFL Draft. With the 226th pick (7th round), the Chicago Bears selected Arlington Hambright, offensive tackle, Colorado. To be honest, this was not the pick I was expecting. At the time I was hoping they went with quarterback Anthony Gordon instead.
I am glad that Pace finally addressed the offensive line, but this was not my first choice at the position either. Alex Taylor or Yasir Durant would have been the two I would have wanted. I was not even familiar with Hambright. I dug into film and actually found some, but not much. The only photo we have of him is this one blocking in the background. Yikes.
Hambright should be proud. He started out by playing in the JUCO ranks. Then he transferred to Oklahoma State and finally found himself as the starting left tackle for Colorado. USA Today actually interviewed him not long ago.
When he described the difference between JUCO and Division I, he spoke about the game being faster and guys being stronger. However, he also mentioned that the strength and conditioning staffs are better and have more resources. He then mentions how once he got used to everything, it was just football at the end of the day.
Watching his film, he will definitely bring versatility to the Chicago Bears offensive line. He has decent speed off the line. His bend is solid and he has great athleticism. Colorado had him pull to both the inside and outside and Hambright handled it with ease. I really liked how he made plays blocking at the second level.
Hambright is not going to step in and start. He is 6’5″ and 300lbs. He looks like he could slot in as a right tackle or a guard. Personally, I see him more as a guard than a tackle. He looks like he would fit in well with Juan Castillo’s zone-blocking scheme too. I found that he stood up instead of staying low at times, but based on his interview he has a strong football IQ. He understands the difference between how to handle speed versus power when taking on different defenders.
Although I was not up to speed on Hambright, I am excited to see what he brings to the table. The Bears have some solid depth now on the offensive line. The hope here is that Hambright continues to grow and excel as he moves up the ranks at every level. He did it from JUCO to Division I. He did it from Oklahoma State to Colorado. Now hopefully he does it from the college level to the NFL.