The Chicago Bears continue to hammer the second and third waves of free agency as the offseason rolls on, but attention is slowly turning towards the NFL Draft set to take place April 28-30 in Las Vegas. With several still-glaring needs to address, one latest mock has the Bears and GM Ryan Poles focusing on the offensive and defensive lines with their two second round picks.
CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson released his latest two-round mock draft on Monday outlining his choices for the Bears and you could argue there isn’t a better use for the two selections: Tulsa offensive tackle Tyler Smith with the 39th overall pick and Houston defensive lineman Logan Hall with the 48th overall pick acquired in the Khalil Mack trade.
It’s anyone’s guess what Poles’ plans are for his first NFL Draft leading the Bears’ front office, but if his first few moves are any indication, he has plenty of moves in mind for Chicago’s trenches — citing the lack of toughness along the offensive line in earlier interviews. As for the two players Wilson suggests the Bears grab in the 2nd round? Let’s take a look at their stats.
Tyler Smith
Tulsa, Offensive Tackle
Height: 6’6″
Weight: 332 pounds
From ProFootballNetwork.com:
There’s one thing you truly can’t teach, and that’s athleticism. Some schools are renowned for their athletic training programs, and prospects can undergo transformations in college. But some players just have higher athletic capacity than others. Athleticism is the prime unteachable trait, but it can be hard to teach physicality as well. Smith’s motor runs hot until the whistle blows on every rep. He has an aggressive mauler mentality, and he’s a relentless finisher with outrageous upper-body torque. Even in space, Smith doesn’t hold back. The Tulsa OT lunges at opponents and is proactive with his physicality. He can throw down defenders and drive them into the dirt.
Smith has talked about wanting to bring a mob mentality to the offensive line, so the fact his motor is highlighted here shouldn’t come as a shock.
Logan Hall
Houston, Defensive Lineman
Height: 6’5 7/8″
Weight: 278 pounds
Hall possesses great initial explosiveness and burst, and he generates displacement quickly. He’s quick and energetic off the snap, which helps him to build momentum and carry it forward into blocks. The Houston DL also has the lateral athleticism to slip by punches and penetrate gaps in the running game. Furthermore, with his lateral athleticism, Hall stunts and covers ground swarming the pocket, and he can also execute spins after exerting his power and driving players back. Hall can be a mismatch on the interior with his burst, violence, and lateral athleticism. But he can also line up at 5-technique, build up speed around the edge, and drive tackles back with his power. Hall has the physical traits to be a matchup nightmare all across the line. On top of that, he routinely capitalizes on his physical foundation with violent hand usage.
Again, everything seems to be circling back to players who hit the field with a chip on their shoulder and lets their opponents know it. Hall would be a nice consolation prize to add to the defensive line depth following the failed physical from DT Larry Ogunjobi last week.
While they aren’t the flashiest moves, Poles has said that games are won in the trenches when he took the Bears GM gig. Drafting two guys to bolster those groups wouldn’t come as a shock as Poles has had a tendency to tell it like it is in his first few months on the job. With a complete overhaul of the Bears roster underway, it may be difficult to cover every team need by the end of the offseason, but moves like this will definitely provide an anchor on both sides of the ball.
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