The Chicago Bears could draft one of the top interior linemen in the draft
Evan Neal seems to be the consensus top pick as of now for the 2022 NFL Draft. He is an offensive tackle out of Alabama and projected to be the closest thing to a sure bet. He has the versatility to play either right tackle or left tackle, but I am sure most teams would prefer to put him on the left side if they draft him that early. Should he go first overall as expected, it menas the Jaguars should have a left tackle to protect Trevor Lawrence’s blindside.
In most mock drafts, offensive tackles, Ikem Ekwonu and Charles Cross are selected before the seventh-overall pick. In fact, many mock drafts have the Giants drafting Ikem Ekwonu with their fifth-overall pick. Yes, that’s right, the Giants have two picks within the first 10 thanks to the trade with Chicago.
This leaves the two top interior linemen to choose from with the seventh pick. If the Chicago Bears did not trade for Justin Fields, then Ryan Poles could be choosing between Tyler Linderbaum or Kenyon Green with his first-round slection. Linderbaum would be my choice and he could instantly step in and play center for the Bears. Sam Mustipher does not have the strength needed to start at center in the NFL Linderbaum on the otherhand would likely dominate the position.
Drafting Linderbaum might be difficult since the Chicago Bears already took former Iowa center James Daniels in the 2018 NFL Draft. Daniels does not appear to make a good center in the NFL, but has shown plenty of promise as a guard. Pairing him with Linderbaum on the same offensive line would have been interesting.
Kenyon Green is a five-start recruit out of Texas A&M. He has versatility since he has played both offensive tackle positions and offensive guard positions. Green is strong and can clear a path in the running game, while also showing quick feet and technique to be a dominant pass-blocker. Green projects as an interior lineman at either guard position or possibly even a right tackle. If the Bears were to take him at seventh-overall, he’d be an instant starter on their line.
If the Chicago Bears wanted to go with an offensive tackle, they should consider trading back slightly and taking Trevor Penning. Penning was an angry, dominant force during the Senior Bowl practices and throughout the game. He is a player that I could see climbing draft boards if he has a solid Combine heading into Draft Day.