The Chicago Bears were a lock to come out of April's draft with a center, and in the second round (pick No. 57), they chose Logan Jones out of the University of Iowa. The pipeline for Hawkeye offensive linemen to the NFL is long-running, and Bears head coach Ben Johnson pointed to that as the reason Jones showed his NFL readiness during the pre-draft process.
"Logan was one that stood out,” Johnson said. “My visit with him, when he was here, [I] was extremely impressed by the football knowledge, makeup, very mature. To me, it’s not we’re getting a rookie, we’re getting a guy that’s a little bit more of a seasoned player, which really is not uncommon for those Iowa linemen.”
How coveted Jones was by other teams shows the Bears were right to take him where they did. He has a legit shot to beat out Garrett Bradbury for the starting job during training camp.
Logan Jones' college coach holds nothing back to offer an NFL comparison
Cassie Carlson of Fox32 recently talked about Jones with Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz.
Jones started his college career on the defensive line before moving over to center. Ferentz talked about the challenge of determining where players best fit on a college football roster, while also noting a similar move made with a veteran NFL center.
"We'd done the same thing with Tyler Linderbaum a couple years prior", Ferentz said.
Ferentz lamented not making the move from defensive line to center with the now three-time Pro Bowler until December, just in time for a bowl game. Jones didn't make the same move until later than that, looking toward the following season after being limited by an injury in 2021.
In light of Linderbaum resetting the top of the market at center with a three-year, $81 million deal from the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, Carlson asked Ferentz if he thinks Jones could have the same career trajectory.
After hesitating just a little, Ferentz didn't mince words.
"It's fair, it's really fair", Ferentz said. "I've told all the NFL people that came through, from my vantage point ...they're not exactly the same, but they're fairly similar body types, fairly similar attributes....The other part I think is extremely similar is just the way they're wired, the way they are mentally."
Ferentz revealed that Linderbaum was on Iowa's campus working out with current players when his contract with the Raiders was finalized, and that the success he's had hasn't changed who he is.
"I told the NFL folks that came through, I would bet the house it's gonna be the same way with Logan. No matter what happens, he'll be the same guy five years from now."
Read more: Veteran edge rusher seems to be perfectly aligned as potential fit for the Bears
Above all else, even a notch above sheer talent, the Bears want players who love football. They clearly deemed Jones the best fit for them after doing lots of due diligence on center prospects, and everything Ferentz said has only confirmed it.
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