Former 1st Round Pick Is A Gamble Chicago Bears Should Take

This time of year is rarely short on surprises. With the preseason winding down, teams are looking to set their rosters. That means cutting down to 53 active players. Most of the time, everybody that gets cut are career backups or hopefuls that never really had a chance. However, there is always invariably a handful of notable names that get released. Sometimes they’re big-name veterans. Other times they’re former high draft picks. In those situations, teams like the Chicago Bears must determine if those players are worth taking a chance on.

They’ve already done it once this off-season, sending a future 7th round pick to the Patriots for N’Keal Harry. The former 1st round pick never got off the ground in New England. It is hoped a fresh start in Chicago might be what he needs. Sadly an ankle injury stunted his progress in the new offense. That doesn’t mean GM Ryan Poles will stop looking for ways to help the offense. Now it appears another former 1st rounder is on the cusp of leaving his original team.

Raiders game vs. N.E. big for right side of Las Vegas' O-line. Team feels unsettled there, at multiple spots, and several teams I've spoken to are keeping an eye on OL Alex Leatherwood, believing he might be traded or released. But Raiders wanted to evaluate game before decisions

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 26, 2022

It is quite a turn of events for Alex Leatherwood.

Two years ago, he was helping Alabama win the national championship. He won the Outland Trophy for best interior offensive lineman in college football. That success enabled him to go 17th overall in the 2021 draft to the Las Vegas Raiders. Things did not go well during his rookie year. In fact, it was downright ugly. Leatherwood allowed 67 pressures and eight sacks across 770 pass-blocking snaps. Now it appears the new coaching staff headed by Josh McDaniels isn’t impressed with him.

That would explain the growing belief he’ll either be traded or cut. It is difficult to understand how things fell apart so fast for Leatherwood. He was one of the best blockers in the country on the nation’s best team. He’d proven himself against many future NFL defensive linemen. It leaves one to wonder what happened last year that caused his struggles.

Chicago Bears should explore Leatherwood as an option.

There is no denying he was terrible last season. Very bad. That said, he is hardly the first player of high pedigree to bomb as a rookie. Eric Fisher was the #1 overall pick in 2013. He allowed 47 pressures and seven sacks that first year. He has since gone on to make the Pro Bowl twice. A young player can overcome a bad start to his career. Leatherwood was a 1st round pick for a reason. He has talent.

Former All-Pro tackle Mitchell Schwartz knows what the problem is. It’s technique. Despite his extensive experience at Alabama, Leatherwood never quite learned how to master the technical details necessary for the NFL level.

“(Leatherwood’s) biggest mechanical problem is he punches too low,” Schwartz said. “When the defender does anything to his right arm, he’s got no leverage and no pressure going upwards. It makes him top heavy, and he’s susceptible to falling on his face.”

Further proof that talent alone won’t save you in the NFL.

That means any team that acquires must be prepared to face the challenge of fixing those issues. The Chicago Bears hold new offensive line coach Chris Morgan in high regard. His coaching style is said to be demanding and detailed. That might be something Leatherwood is familiar with from his time at Alabama. His athleticism and mean streak would also fit the mentality the team wants to exude. Depending on the price, this is a gamble the Bears should consider.