We all know the Chicago Bears have to upgrade the offensive line this off-season. So, as they head to the NFL combine this week it will be a key opportunity to meet and greet and watch the top prospects move up close.
The top-end talents on the offensive line are fine, but this class really has depth that could give the Chicago Bears options after trading down. Who are some names the team may be gathering information on, or watching more specifically than others in workouts?
5. Chicago Bears should be interested in Carter Warren and his medicals
Carter Warren is flying under the radar, but is a really interesting prospect. In 2021, he was excellent as he helped Kenny Pickett and the Pitt Panthers win the ACC. He came back and was expected to improve his draft stock, but he only played four games this season.
Warren went down early in the Panthers fourth game with an unspecified injury. He was deemed out for the year a few weeks later. The college injury rules are not as strict as the NFL, and ther was not much to find about Carter Warren and this injury.
If this injury is still significant, it is going to impact his draft stock. If not, then teams are going to start talking about him as a riser in the process. The Chicago Bears are hoping for good news because it could be another tackle available to them.
4. Luke Wypler has upside, but is inexperienced
There are just eight redshirt sophomores in this draft, and Luke Wypler is one of them. So, at most, he could only play two seasons. Wypler came in as a redshirt freshman and started every game last season for the Ohio State Buckeyes. He followed that up and showed that he can be trusted.
So, this is probably a player to bet on. He is only three years removed from high school, and his lack of experience may have him flying under the radar compared to five-year starters, and it is clear that as he gets more experience then the best is in front of him.
Still, when you leave school as a redshirt sophomore, you do not attend the Shrine Bowl or Senior Bowl, and the older prospects have already made first impressions on these teams.
So, the Chicago Bears have known about the centers from the Senior Bowl, now they need to find out about a guy like Luke Wypler, who they have not had a chance to meet with yet. This will be a huge chance for him to prove himself.
3. Chicago Bears have to have eyes on small school stand outs.
The NFL Combine is all about the younger guys making first impressions, but also the small school guys. They can make that impression, and teams can also see them next to high-end players, and see if they still stand out as NFL players when the competition is about the same. Then, the testing is big for these players to see if they can make that transition.
Mark Evans from Arkansas Pine-Bluff is a name to follow. He is expected to play left tackle. Nick Saldivieri from Old Dominion played right tackle in college but spent a lot of time at the Senior Bowl adjusting to the interior. Who does he work out with, and what does his testing show that he looks athletically?
Brent Laing is a right tackle from Minnesota-Duluth and has similar questions about which position he will play when he makes that jump. McClendon Curtis from Tennessee-Chattanooga is another play who will have versatility and a question of what position fits him best. Unlike the others he has played a few different spots, so he could see the fastest transition.
When Ryan Pace left you thought you left the small schools behind, but Ryan Poles went to Southern Utah for one of his big hits. He has to at least look at the names mentioned and see if any stand out the same way that Braxton Jones did.
2. Where will Tyler Steen play in the NFL?
Tyler Steen is a four-year starter in the SEC. Still, like the small school prospects mentioned in the last slide, he is going to be answering questions about what position he plays best.
Tyler Steen played right tackle for one season and left tackle for two years at Vanderbilt. He played so well at Vandy that Alabama saw him and brought him in as a transfer. The bump in the competition going to Alabama helped his draft stock immensely.
Still, his build looks more like a guard, and his play suggests the change may be for the best as well. At the Senior Bowl, he played all five positions, and honestly, he had good repetitions at all five. What do NFL teams see when they look at Steen? How will Steen test athletically, and will he answer questions about what position he feels best playing in the NFL? This is a big week for Tyler Steen.
1. Will Blake Freeland see his stock rise after the NFL Combine
There is a good chance that Blake Freeland sees his stock shoot up after the NFL combine. Freeland was a former track star in high school and was a notable athlete. A lot of people expect him to show up to the NFL combine as a well-prepared athlete who can dominate each event.
What is going to make Freeland enticing is that you combine his athletic traits with his size. He is 6'7" and 312 pounds. He could put on some weight, but unlike a lot of BYU prospects, he is still on the younger side of the age list. There is room and time for him to put on weight.
Teams know that he is athletic, but when you see the size and testing numbers on paper it does something to your brain. Beyond that, the media is not as aware and may be surprised that he is one of the big winners of the week. Will there be a lot more attention on Blake Freeland after this weekend? Or, will the rumors of his ability be overstated by some?