4 National offensive linemen the Chicago Bears must watch at Senior Bowl
Over the last week, I’ve been down in Florida hanging out with a different group of bears — Winnie the Pooh and the Country Bear Jamboree. Although I am not a fan of either, it was nice to get away from the grind of football for a week and spend it with the Mrs. This was a vacation about freedom as we left the kiddos with the grandparents for a week. It was a little weird doing Disney without kids, but there is plenty of adult-only things to do and we had fun. However, I made it back just in time to focus on the Chicago Bears efforts at the 2023 Senior Bowl.
Luke Getsy will have an inside look at the American Senior Bowl team since he was named the head coach. However, that shouldn’t stop the Chicago Bears and Getsy from scouting the National Team. Obviously, each team will be focused on every player — that’s the job of the scouting department. That said, there are a handful of players on offense that I will be paying close attention to this week and I believe the Chicago Bears need to do the same.
Chicago Bears Senior Bowl Scouting: Blake Freeland, OT – BYU
To be honest, I’m not confident that Blake Freeland falls out of the first round. I have a late, first-round grade on Freeland. He has the perfect build for Ryan Poles’ offensive line at 6’8″ and 305 pounds. Had the Chicago Bears still had that second-round pick they sent to the Steelers for Chase Claypool, Freeland could have been a target there should he fall.
Unlike most people’s top offensive lineman prospect, Peter Skoronski, arm length is not an issue for Freeland. He has 35″ arms giving him an advantage while manning either side of the offensive line. He has right tackle experience from his earlier days at BYU, but he played his junior and senior years on the left side. Freeland did not let up a single sack during his 2022 season for BYU. In fact, he only let up two sacks throughout his entire collegiate career. He is a player to keep a close eye on this week and could be a target for the Chicago Bears should they trade out of the top 15.