Five offensive linemen went from picks 58-78. Will the Chicago Bears regret passing on them?
One of the most important questions entering the 2020 NFL drat was whether to not the Chicago Bears would address the offensive line. After leaving the 2019 NFL draft without much depth to speak of, the Bears saw the repercussions as the shuffled the group around and took a step back.
The Bears are hoping to bring back four of five starters and signed Germain Ifedi to be the fifth. Still, they lack depth at every spot, and Bobby Massie is now 30 with a couple of injuries to his name.
Despite that, at pick 43, the Bears went tight end, and at 50, they went cornerback. The two picks are not bad, but many fans were disappointed that beefing up the line was not a more significant area of concern.
Five offensive linemen went from pick 58-78. Lloyd Cushenberry went pick 83, to the Denver Broncos, and that is the last pick before the Chiefs picked Lucas Niang 96th. Niang had a hip injury and may have been too low on the Bears board for pick 50. That and every pick after is understandable as that seems to be where the drop off is talent started.
Nonetheless, would these five linemen picked right after the Bears second-rounder have upgraded them more than Kmet? If you are going to gripe about passing on the line, at least follow these guys who could have been there.
5. Pick 78, C, Matt Hennessy, Temple
With the 78th pick in the 2020 NFL draft, the Atlanta Falcons selected Hennessy out of Temple. He was a three-year starter at center, and played a little guard and tackle through high school.
The Falcons have Alex Mack, and while he may not be around for long, the Falcons plan to move Hennessy to left guard as a rookie. So, there is a good chance we will get to see what he can do, sliding right into a starting spot.
The Bears would have to move him to the right side and not the left, or they could have debated keeping him at center and moving Whitehair again. Nonetheless, Hennessy at pick 50 had to be on their minds at some point. Will passing on him come back to hurt?