Chicago Bears 2023 NFL Draft Profile: Blake Freeland
The Chicago Bears should be focused on building up the offensive line this off-season. One name to keep an eye on in the 2023 NFL draft is BYU offensive tackle, Blake Freeland.
Blake Freeland 2023 NFL Draft Profile
Blake Freeland started at BYU as a freshman and wound up playing 502 snaps, all at right tackle. Freeland played at right tackle during his sophomore year as well, in 2020. This was the season with Zach Wilson, and also Brady Christensen, a starting guard for the Carolina Panthers, who started at left tackle.
After the big names left BYU Freeland shifted to the left side. Over the past two seasons, he has played 1,736 snaps at left tackle, to add to the 954 snaps he put in at right tackle. BYU primarily ran a zone-blocking scheme.
Blake Freeland Scouting Report
The strengths of his game obviously include his experience with four years of starting, but also his ability to play both the right and the left side. Blake Freeland has the size, and length that you want from a tackle, and his projection is definitely on the outside.
His length helps in pass protection, but his biggest strengths come in the ground game. It is impressive how well he can move as a puller, and when making combination blocks into the second level. He is fluid and can hit his target to seal off lanes in the zone-blocking scheme.
Blake Freeland is better moving forward and pushing as a blocker right now than he is moving back in his pass sets. One big issue is playing high and letting smaller defenders get their hands into his chest, letting them beat Freeland with leverage. If he can clean some things up in his dropback, there is more untapped upside from the size and length combination, but for now, he relies heavily on reaching and directing defenders. If he misses, it can cause trouble.
Does Blake Freeland fit with the Chicago Bears?
The Chicago Bears primarily run a zone blocking scheme, although they have shifted to more gap because of the quarterback rushing dynamic. Still, adding Blake Freeland means adding a run blocker, and that is where the Chicago Bears want to look.
The team probably needs right tackle more than left tackle at this point, and while Freeland has spent the last two years at tackle, it does help that he spent two years as a right tackle as well.
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His size, and upside is intriguing, but he may be a swing tackle with the chance to compete for starting snaps depending on who else in on the depth chart.