The Chicago Bears will need to draft an offensive tackle at some point. If they do not draft one with the ninth overall pick, they are going to need to hit one with their second or third-round picks. The team has three picks from 53-64. Who are some tackles that may be around there, and how would they fit the Chicago Bears?
5. Wanya Morris, Oklahoma
Wanya Morris was a highly regarded recruit coming out of high school and wound up starting at left tackle for Tennessee as a freshman. He spent two seasons with the Volunteers but transferred to Oklahoma in 2021, where he was a reserve.
in 2022, he spent the year at right tackle and started to boost his draft stock back up. Morris also was invited to the Senior Bowl, and participated in the Combine, although he suffered a hamstring injury running the 40.
Wanya Morris is violent and plays with a strong punch and long arms. The issue with him is that his footwork can be inconsistent and he really struggles with standing upright and losing his leverage. This is going to make him more of a question to get on the field right away, and that is why he is fifth on our list, and not a first-round pick.
Still, he is experienced at both right and left tackle, and could immediately compete at right tackle. At worst, he can help out in the run game. Beyond that, the price is right with this draft cost. If the Chicago Bears do not take a tackle in the first round, it does not get too far until they will be considering Wanya Morris.
4. Blake Freeland, BYU
Blake Freeland is a really interesting prospect. He has a couple of things going for him. The first is his athletic profile. Freeland jumped out of the gym, and had a sound overall profile.
Beyond that, he is not your traditional BYU player who took a few years off for mission work. He is just 22 years old when he enters the NFL, while most BYU players do not get this far until much older.
Freeland was starting for the Cougars back when Zach Wilson was tearing it up in 2020. He was the right tackle. However, when Brady Christensen was drafted by the Panthers that year, he moved over to the left side.
Blake Freeland spent the past two seasons as the starting left tackle and started to build his stock.
So, he is young enough but has the serious experience and athletic ability. He still has technical issues as well, but he has a profile that can be compared favorably to Eric Fisher. Of course, Fisher went first overall, and Freeland is a likely third-round pick, but the body type is the same.
This matters because Ryan Poles was with the Chiefs when they drafted Fisher, and with the drafting of Braxton Jones, he definitely appears to like that type of athlete. Will Blake Freeland be the discount Eric Fisher?
This is another great bet because he could play both left and right tackle, and has experience in all four years of his college career.
3. Tyler Steen, Alabama
Tyler Steen also brings experience on both the left and right side. Steen started his career at Vanderbilt and was starting at right tackle as a freshman. He moved to the left side and started the following two years before transferring to Alabama.
Steen did nothing but improve across the board with the upgraded coaching and facilities. From there he was invited to the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine.
You can see from his profile there is an obvious reason why Tyler Steen will fall this fall. He is actually nearly an inch longer than Peter Skoronski, but Steen still has rather short arms. What makes this a bigger issue for him is that he has technical flaws that really bring this out of his game. It shows up more from Steen than Skoronski.
Steen actually played five positions at the Senior Bowl, including center, and has maintained that he is a five-position player. The technical flaws at tackle were cleaned up at Alabama and it has some thinking that another year of excellent coaching could bring out the best in him. Maybe he gets a shot at tackle to start. Others think he should go straight to the inside, where he will thrive.
We will find out what the Chicago Bears think because if they pass on a tackle early, he will be in play on day two.
2. Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
Jaelyn Duncan is an interesting prospect and may have been the highest-rated of this group at this point last year. The 2021 season was better for Duncan than his follow-up in 2022. Many thought he could use his 2022 to ascend into round one, but that just has not materialized.
The plus with Dunacn is that he is a really smooth mover. He is great in his backdrop and it is hard for speed rushers to get around the edge. Duncan did well and improved his stock at the Senior Bowl, mainly because he is good in those one-on-one drills, and is tough to get around.
The issue with Duncan is that he has a lot of technical issues with his hand placement. This improved a bit at the Senior Bowl, but you saw a team like Ohio State expose him with better technical play. Duncan could beat the weaker teams with his athletic profile, but once similar athletes with better skills came into play, he struggled.
Duncan is another player that some think would be the best guard. He is such an easy mover that he could be better in the run game, and if you give him bumpers such as a tackle and center beside him, he could be more comfortable, and less exposed against those true athletes on the edge.
This is why he will be in consideration on day two. Do the Chicago Bears think that if they can clean up his hands his footwork is too good to move off of tackle? Or do they not see it with him?
1. Is Syracuse tackle Matthew Bergeron the best option for the Chicago Bears?
It will be interesting to see how teams view Matthew Bergeron in the NFL. By most lists and mock drafts, if the Chicago Bears pass on a tackle in the first round, the next best bet may be Matthew Bergeron.
Some view Bergeron as a guard, almost for the opposite reasons as Matthew Bergeron. Bergeron is a powerful player who gets a great push in the run game. He also is best at climbing to the second level and finding blocks down the field to spring big runs.
However, his footwork is inconsistent and can be laboring. Fast rushers can get around the edge with too much ease, and they can also get Bergeron to overcommit to the outside rush and then set himself up for the inside move. Bergeron has the hand placement to fight, and you think that if he is a box at guard, that may be for the best.
Bergeron may be the better, and more consistent lineman, but he is more likely to succeed at guard. Duncan probably has a better chance to get a shot at tackle. Either way, they are the names you have to consider if you do not go tackle high in the 2023 NFL draft.