Chicago Bears: 5 Offensive linemen to target in 2021 NFL Draft
By Joseph Herff
Chicago Bears need to address their offensive line
After writing articles on both quarterbacks and wide receivers the Chicago Bears need to target, it is finally time to dive into the true issue with the Bears — the offensive line. The Bears need to draft offensive linemen in at least a few rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Lucky for the Bears, the 2021 draft class is loaded at both interior offensive linemen and offensive tackles. They are deep and have a lot of high-end talent that can be found in any of the rounds of the draft. Whoever the general manager of the Bears is in 2021 needs to take advantage of this.
With Charles Leno and Bobby Massie both being sub-par at their respective tackle positions, the Bears need to address the tackle position early in this draft, but that doesn’t mean the interior of the offensive line is great. Both James Daniels and Cody Whitehair have shown plenty of promise, but right guard still isn’t perfect with Germain Ifedi who is only in a one-year deal anyway.
This will both feature interior linemen and offensive tackles as both are a need. I will additionally be excluding players that will be out of our reach likely like Penei Sewell. All draft projections will be obtained via The Draft Network. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas
Height: 6′ 7″ | Weight: 300 lbs | Class: RS – Jr.
Projection: Mid Round 1
For his size, Samuel Cosmi is an extremely athletic tackle for the Longhorns. He has the necessary size and athleticism to be a great left tackle at the next level. His ability to move around the field is very intriguing for an offensive tackle. He has some burst that most offensive linemen don’t have. He is regarded as the next best tackle to Sewell.
His pass blocking is what is most impressive in his game. He is very good at mirroring pass rushers and sticking to his blocks. The only downfall is he really isn’t good at moving players yet. He doesn’t have the proper technique and power to be able to move the players right now and that may be why he could fall in the draft.
His size and athleticism give him the upside and potential to be a star at left tackle. If the Chicago Bears would want to draft him, he may not be ready to be able to start right away and could sit a year behind Leno before eventually taking over after learning more technique and developing some power in his blocks.