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Athleticism Rates Broderick Jones High

Georgia's Broderick Jones should rate strong consideration for any team taking a tackle in the first round of the NFL Draft, including the Bears.
Gene Chamberlain|
Athleticism Rates Broderick Jones High
Athleticism Rates Broderick Jones High

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Chicago Bears

Names most often associated with this Bears draft for the offensive line are Ohio State's Paris Johnson and Northwestern's Peter Skoronski.

More attention needs to be focused on Georgia's Broderick Jones.

If there is an ideal fit among the top three tackles for the Bears offense, it could very well be Jones.

Sure, Skoronski has the local Northwestern and experience advantage. Also, Johnson was Justin Fields' teammate.

But Jones actually fits their need at tackle better even if he doesn't have Skoronski's overall experience.

The Bears are looking for a right tackle and Jones can slide into the position better because he actually played it 34 plays before moving to the left side as starter in his final year. Johnson was a right guard for a year before playing left tackle but only a right tackle for seven plays. While there are plenty of scouts who believe Skoronski will be a pro star, many believe it will be at guard because of his shorter arm length.

Jones has 34 3/4-inch arms, 2 1/2 inches longer than Skoronski, and he has hands 10 5/8 inches which Mockdraftable.com says puts him in the top 13% for players at his position. They're a big asset when trying to throw hands at the on-rushing edge player.

The real edge that Jones has over both Skoronski and Johnson is his speed.

At the combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash of all linemen at 4.97 seconds. His 10-yard split in the 40 was 1.74 seconds, which was fifth fastest.

In fact, Jones at the combine coined a phrase that has people giving him a nickname.

"I think it helps me out a lot being able to have these sweet feet; it puts my game on the next level along with my other attributes,” Jones told combine reporters.

Thus, the birth of a nickname, "Sweet Feet."

"I believe my athleticism separates me a lot, just being so athletic and so physical and always trying to dominant," he added. "It's all about the mentality."

The athleticism, the speed in particular, is critical in run-blocking for the wide zone.

Mockdraftbable.com applied Jones' combine measurements and results to the pool of tackles from over the years and found he rates similar to D'Brickashaw Ferguson, who made three straight Pro Bowls for the Jets during a career spanning 2005-15, and to former Tampa Bay tackle Kenyatta Walker.

Both of the other two first-round tackle candidates spent their careers blocking pass rushers in the Big Ten. Certainly there have been great pass rushers come from the Big Ten but no one could seriously deny the SEC is better competition after 14 national championships this century, including the last four.

Not only that, but Jones was going in practice the last two years against players who won the last two national championships.

At the very least, it needs to be considered a three-way battle for the Bears if they are considering tackle in Round 1, with Jones' name being thrown into consideration for their top pick.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsonMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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