If possible, the Chicago Bears should definitely trade up for Rashawn Slater
With the possibility of five quarterbacks being selected within the first 10 picks, players like Rashawn Slater could see their draft stock drop. Slater is easily worth a top-10 pick, but should he start to fall towards that 10th pick, Ryan Pace must get on the phone and look for a draft partner.
The 2021 NFL Draft is very deep at the offensive tackle position, but in my opinion, three of the offensive tackles that project to be plug-and-play left tackles stand out above all the rest. Penei Sewell is another one, but he is not likely to fall past the fifth pick. The third one will be discussed later as he also makes my list of players to trade up for.
Landing a left tackle to start and protect your quarterback’s blind side is essential to NFL success. Just look at what happened when Patrick Mahomes lost Eric Fisher in the playoffs last season. The Chiefs struggled to protect him versus the Bucs in the Super Bowl. Mahomes and the team struggled to consistently move the ball and score on offense. Charles Leno is not as bad as many give him grief for, but he also is not elite either. Give me an elite left tackle.
Rashawn Slater is known for his fundamentals. He has great footwork that allows him to keep his quarterback upright. Some project him as more of an inside presence, but I think he will be just as good on the outside — the more important and coveted position of need for teams. Slater was a three-star recruit who opted out in 2020. Had he played, I think he’d see an even higher draft grade. The Chicago Bears should definitely consider moving up depending on where he falls.