Why Larry Borom Could Be a Rookie Surprise

Fifth-round draft pick had an incredibly successful final college season as a pass blocker and brings great size to the tackle position.

When Ryan Pace completed his draft it practically met with standing ovations in the media.

Sports Illustrated, NFL.com, Pro Football Focus, the Sporting News, USA Today, the Ringer and Pro Football Network analysts all gave the Bears A- or higher for their selections.

The key obviously was Justin Fields and the next-best pick to gain everyone's attention was Teven Jenkins. This would be an immediate starting tackle.

The Bears last year came away with one immediate starter and two more who were regulars by midseason in Darnell Mooney and Cole Kmet.

This year's draft looks like it could follow the same pattern. Since Fields won't start on Day 1, he could be one of those assuming a spot by midseason.

Among their last five picks there figure to be as many as three who could contribute in part-time roles because Khalil Herbert and Dazz Newsome might eventually win special teams return jobs. And Thomas Graham Jr. could find a way to be competitive at slot cornerback with Duke Shelley, who didn't stand out last year when he had the chance to replace Buster Skrine.

However, there is one other player who could be the third starter from the draft class and that's tackle Larry Borom.

Borom has almost been regarded as a future project or throw-in after the team drafted Fields and Jenkins, but there is every reason to believe he can compete with Germain Ifedi and Elijah Wilkinson for starting right tackle.

Both Ifedi and Wilkinson might have big experience edges over Borom coming into training camp but the former Missouri player won't lack for confidence. He knows what he does well.

"My strength is I feel like I can pass protect with the best of them," Borom said. "And I'm a big body that can run off the ball. And one thing I'm gonna need to work on is just smaller, just little technique things regarding some things in the run game, maybe footwork here and there, hand placement, but other than that, I feel like I can pass block with the best of them."

This really doesn't follow the trend of recent players the Bears have brought in at the position.

In fact, Borom last year was downright dominant as a pass blocker.

Pro Football Focus analyzed film of all college pass blockers and Borom was the only tackle in the country, on the left side or right side, who did not allow a single quarterback pressure. A pair of 2022 draft-eligibles, Memphis' Dylan Parham (0.7% pressures) and Arkansas' Myron Cunningham (1.2%) were second and third and Carolina Panthers third-round draft pick Brady Christensen from BYU (1.3%) was fourth.

"The big kid from Missouri is a big athlete, powerful," Bears line coach Juan Castillo said. "You're going to really love him.

"I know Germain's going to get mad at me, but (Borom) is a better athlete than Germain."

Considering Borom has "slimmed down" to 322 pounds, it's probably not what many expected of him when they saw his size on a roster. He said he's actually going to gain back a little weight before the season.

Linemen in the range of 320 to 330 pounds normally are thought of as run blockers, and right tackles in particular are maulers at this size. Being strong with pass blocking technique at that size, at that position is uncommon.

It's apparently not a fallacy.

"G's going to get pissed at me, but (Borom is) a powerful guy," Castillo said. "He played at 352 pounds. He's not as long as Germain. He played at 352. Now he got skinny, wanted to make those swimsuit issues, he got down to (322). But that's not what he needs to play at. He's going to get back up to around (332).

"So that's still 20 pounds lighter than he was before. But he's a big man that's athletic, that played good competition. We're excited. We're going to put him over there behind Germain and let him compete with Germain."

Considering Ifedi's contract runs only one year at $5 million, the long-term prospect for Borom appears strong.

Considering Borom's past as a surprisingly effective pass blocker for a man his size, and how his size should help the team's run blocking, it wouldn't be a shock to see him become the third rookie Bears starter at some point.

It could make the 2021 class look a great deal like the success achieved by the 2020 draft class.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaen