Where does the Chicago Bears interior offensive line rank amongst the NFC North rivals?
Yesterday, we broke down the NFC North offensive tackles, and where the Chicago Bears depth chart stacked up in the division. So, today we will look to the interior. This will include the guards and centers.
After finishing fourth at tackle, where do the Bears rank in the interior?
4. Minnesota Vikings
Pat Elflein, Garrett Bradbury, Dakota Dozier
Drew Samia, Blake Brandel, Brett Jones
The Vikings have a lot of names, but they do not have a lot of emphasis. Bradbury is supposed to be the leader of the group. He is a first-round pick entering year two, so it is tough to judge him last year. However, in 2019 his play did match his scouting report.
Bradbury was drafted high because he is highly athletic, and his ability to get to the second level is rare. However, his play strength is not where it needs to be, and strong nose tackles had their way with him. He will get stronger, but until he does, the anchor of the Vikings line sounds like a similar version of James Daniels.
Elflein moved from center to guard when Bradbury was drafted. His season was not great, and he has struggled to stay healthy. You could argue his job is in jeopardy, but Dakota Dozier is a backup level player. Drew Samia or a tackle like Riley Reiff may slide into the other guard spot, which we discussed in our tackle preview. Overall, it is not depth when you have three or four below-average players. Bradbury and even Elflein still have upside, but there are just as many questions.