One thing we’ve learned about Ryan Poles in his brief time as Chicago Bears GM it’s to always expect him to think three or four moves ahead. Right now, the rumor mill has settled on one of three possibilities. Chicago will stay at the 9th overall pick and take Georgia defensive tackle, Jalen Carter. They will stay at #9 and take their preferred offensive tackle, be it Paris Johnson of Ohio State or Broderick Jones of Georgia. Last but not least, they will look to trade down into the teens and get their offensive tackle there. This is where things get interesting.
Something nagged at me about that scenario. While I 100% believe Poles wants to move down again, I became curious as to why he’d still target a tackle after moving down. Recent history paints a rather bland picture of tackles taken in the 15-19 range.
However, that changes when shifting to offensive guard.
Teams have routinely found not only good but excellent guards in that range over the past two decades. This is noteworthy because many feel the best offensive lineman in the entire draft class will likely end up at guard. That is Peter Skoronski of Northwestern.
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The Chicago Bears know everything about Skoronski.
He’s been in their backyard for years now. Their scouts have attended almost every Northwestern game. They’ve met with his coaches, friends, and family. When it comes to toughness, strength, and technique, Skoronski is tops in this class. The big issue with him is his arms. They’re barely 32 inches long. That is painfully short for NFL offensive tackles, which tend to be 34 or longer. Such a problem would be mitigated by moving inside. It’s what Zack Martin did coming out of Notre Dame. Now he’s destined for Canton.
While tackle might be a big need, it’s fair to wonder if Poles is more focused on securing great blockers for his line. Skoronski is a perfect fit for the Chicago Bears wide zone offense. He and Nate Davis could form a reliable pair of pass protectors for Justin Fields. Don’t forget Poles found Braxton Jones in the 5th round. He might have confidence he can find another tackle later in the draft. Drafting Skoronski wouldn’t bring much flash, but it would instantly make the Bears a better blocking unit.
Maybe they feel his lack of appeal as a tackle could get him to fall just far enough for them to snag him in the mid-teens. That might go down as one of the bigger steals in recent memory.
