Chicago Bears to Draft Offensive Lineman with First Selection (-170 Odds via Caesar’s)
I think the Bears have clearly taken the path to an offensive lineman with their first round pick. The trade back to #9 while adding DJ Moore clearly shows to me that they are committed to Justin Fields. This certainly takes quarterback off the board, and I think Chicago will want to do everything they can to bolster the roster around Fields. Fields showed some promise last season, but he was sacked at the highest rate in the NFL (over 13% of dropbacks). A lot of this had to do with Fields’ decision making, but Chicago has a massive hole at right tackle. Veteran tackle Riley Reiff departed in free agency, and I think Chicago will have a chance to draft the top tackle on the board. Paris Johnson, Pete Skoronski, Darnell Wright, and Broderick Jones all appear to have top 10 potential.
I think the path to availability for the above mentioned offensive linemen is pretty straightforward. There’s a high probability that 4 quarterbacks will be selected in the top 8. Detroit has one of the best lines in the NFL and is sitting at #6, so I’d be stunned to see them take a tackle. So that would leave only 3 potential teams to take an offensive lineman on the board. Defensive players Will Anderson, Jalen Carter, Tyree Wilson, Devon Witherspoon, and Christian Gonzalez all have the profile to fit somewhere in the top 10.
I think the Bears have clearly shown the willingness to surround Fields with talented receivers. Now it’s time to solidify the offense with a franchise tackle.
Good Luck!
