Why Tackle for Bears First Makes Sense

One assessment of overall draft talent says Bears can find better pass rush talent in Round 2 than they can find offensive tackles.

Getting the long-distance view of draft talent available can provide the best insight into who a team should or will select.

If a team hasn't already settled on one particular player it plans to take first and has numerous needs, it can make sense to know the landscape. Then you can figure out what to take and when. 

Draft strategy is important and using it well can make this draf for the Bears, who have several dire needs and only one pick in the first 52 selections.

Veteran draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com provided good insight into what the strongest positions are for this draft with an article about strongest and weakest position groups. Such an assessment is invaluable in determining what the Bears should pursue and when.

From Zierlein's assessment, it only makes sense for the Bears to take a tackle with the ninth pick in Round 1 instead of an edge rusher, or take a tackle even if they trade down a couple spots for more picks.

While there are good tackles, Zierlein doesn't see the supply lasting long.

"There will be tackles pushed into the top 40 picks who become starters, but the class is extremely light on depth and it's unlikely to produce top-tier talent," he wrote.

It could be a reason Mel Kiper Jr. had Georgia tackle Broderick Jones dropping down to 31st in his last mock when some have him in the middle of Round 1.

Zierlein calls tackle only the eighth-best talent group overall, so get in on the best while you can makes plenty of sense.

With the top quality tackle talent limited, it would only be logical to go after either Peter Skoronski or Paris Johnson Jr. first. Their other most important need will hold up until at least Round 2. That would be edge rusher.

"Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson have high-end potential and there is a nice collection of future starters with size and/or explosiveness within the first two rounds," Zierlein said, in ranking defensive end/edge the third best position group for the draft.

The Bears have two picks in Round 2 and the first pick in Round 3 so there should still be good edge rushers at this point, but not much later. However, if they take the edge rusher first, the drop to tackles in Round 2 will be very steep, Zierlein believes. 

For instance, CBS' Ryan Wilson did a three-round mock on Wednesday and found the Bears taking Kansas State edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah at No. 61 with Iowa State's Will McDonald IV, Notre Dame's Isaiah Foskey and Auburn's Derick Hall all available then, as well. If they felt a need to move up in Round 2 and take an edge player, BJ Ojulari would go fairly early in Round 2 says Wilson.

The infatuation with the three technique on the defensive line might not even be necessary for the Bears in this draft if it turns out DeMarcus Walker and Justin Jones can fill this need. Although Walker was an end with the Titans, he was extremely effective as a pass rusher from the three-technique spot.

This would be fine according to what Zierlein says because he thinks the Bears and other teams could wait and find suitable talent at defensive tackle. After Jalen Carter, he doesn't see bad talent but just talent not worthy of Day 1.

"There is enough depth here for teams to find potential future starters on Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) of the draft," Zierlein wrote.

So in this way, the draft sets up well for the Bears by taking tackle, then edge then defensive tackle.

Their other need is another cornerback and this also sets up well for them to find one in Round 2 or later. He calls cornerback the deepest and also best position for top talent in this draft.

"There might not be a Sauce (Gardner) in this year's class, but there appears to be a higher number of players who will be starters in the NFL," Zierlein concludes. "In fact, there will be big, long, explosive perimeter cornerbacks available in each of the first four rounds."

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