As the Chicago Bears have added more names to free agency, they have started to check off the boxes of the positions that they may or may not draft. With how many holes they had, they were never going to be able to fill them all.
While most needs suggest a defensive line or tackle will be the pick at number nine, some still other spots being filled as well. The team will certainly debate each position thoroughly, but at this point, it looks like the Chicago Bears should draft a tackle ninth overall.
3. It is harder to find tackles than other positions
One of the big reasons why you have to take a tackle high is that there are fewer humans who are shaped like NFL tackles and can move like NFL tackles. No one is saying against Jaxson Smith-Ngjigba, he is the craftiest route runner in this class. However, you can find guys who are 6', 190 pounds, that move like him. There are finer details to learn, and he is a master of his craft, but that body type is more common.
There just are not that many humans who are 6'5" and over 300 pounds, but then can run a 40-yard dash in about 5 seconds or so. From that smaller sample of people, the ones that can actually play are even rare. When those humans come around, they get drafted high.
That is why you saw wide receiver change teams in bunches last year, and this season. You see it with running backs even more often. Cornerbacks, linebackers, you name it. However, when you find a human who has the size of a tackle and can move like a tackle, they never get let go.
Mike McGlinchey was overpaid in free agency because it is rare to see someone like him get free, and most agree he is average at best at his position. Trent Williams broke free from Washington, but it took something as rare as medical negligence to spark that. The only time that you can add experience and the perfect dimensions of size for a tackle is in the top ten.
The Chicago Bears can hope that Carolina is bad next year, but they are in a weak division and they have made some moves. They do not plan to be in the top ten again with Justin Fields. It is time to take the rare body type that you never expect to see fall to you in future drafts.
2. Chicago Bears have three worthy options
This would be a different discussion if there was not a tackle worthy of first-round consideration. However, you could argue that there are three guys who should go in the first half of round one. Peter Skoronski is the only guy who does not check what we mentioned above.
He would be a bit of an outlier being an elite tackle due to his length. However, his tape may make him the safest pick in the entire draft.
Paris Johnson Jr. and Broderick Jones are exactly what I am saying when I say that these body types can only be found this high in the draft. Both of them are only three years removed from high school and entering the draft as underclassmen. Both check all of the athletic and physical boxes, and Johnson has rare arm length that can be a huge advantage.
They both have quality play for elite college programs. We are talking about two guys that check every box for a potential franchise-changing left tackle. Both of them could improve in certain areas, or they would go top five, but these are the shots you need to take when you pick high.
1. Chicago Bears can add pass rush in numbers
The Chicago Bears' next biggest weakness would be the defensive line. The good news is that the team has two late second-round picks, and they kick off the third round, so they do pick three times in a row in the 50s-60s.
This could be when they address the issues on their defensive line. The big difference between the defensive line and offensive line is that on the offensive line, you need to be steady across the board. One weak link can kill you.
On the defensive line, you do not need a big time name, although that helps. If you have the depth, you can move players around and create mismatches, and wear teams down with the stamina and ability to rotate your line in groups. That should be the Chicago Bears' approach.
Any tackle you add in the 50-60 range has serious flaws, or they would have gone earlier. The same can be said on the defensive line, but these are usually rotational guys. This guy is good against the run but does not get bend, or the other guy is just a speed rusher who cannot defend the run.
On defense, you can mix and match and use them on certain downs. When a lineman has those flaws, he can cost the team a game.
The prospects are good enough, the body types are too rare to pass up, and the team cannot have a weak link on their offensive line, while they can attack the defensive line in numbers. The Chicago Bears have to draft a tackle in the top ten.