We HAVE to address LT in the first two rounds of the draft

[bufordht]

There's about twice as many tackles that get drafted than QBs. Plus, starting tackles are more likely to be found after the first round than QBs. I doubt that will be an issue.

But what if the one they pick is a bust

 

[rawdawg]

But what if the one they pick is a bust

I mean that's always an issue with any position ever.

 

[rawdawg]

Generally

Centers are terrible 1st round picks
No evidence whitehair can play RT in the NFL
If your above scenario happens, who is playing LT?

This is an old way of thinking. Centers have gone in the first round 4 of the last 5 years. And guys like Bradbury, Ragnow, and Ryan Kelly are top 5 centers in the league. 2020 first round C, Cesar Ruiz will probably be one in the future

 

[RiDLer80]

You think starting quality LT can be easily found in the mid to late first round or second? You might be able to get a project but to land an instant starter is very rare.

This is a premium position right there with DE, QB, and CB.

I still go back to the draft in Chicago. Tunsil on the board crowd thinks Bears are taking him, nfl red zone guy thinks Bears are taking him. Instead we take an old, skinny bust in Floyd.

Tunsil as you know was later traded for 2 1st round picks and is a pretty good LT. Floyd was dumped for nothing.

This is pretty bad right? But it barely makes the radar of Ryan Pace because he has so many epic failures. The guy needs to be fired.

Damn I forgot we passed on Tunsil. We could've had our LT of the future but instead we took a string bean OLB. That's what happens when your organization is run by incompetent cowards with no foresight. The Tunsil storyline died soon after the draft and I haven't seen it brought up since.

Regarding the OP, I want to say we have to go QB in the first, but I'm still back-and-forth on if we actually do that. I do know that our first two picks will be some combination of OT/QB. It's just a matter of which goes first.

 

[WindyCity]

Their combined work on the OL is pretty much failure after failure

-Extend Leno, Massie, and Whitehair and they all regress.

-None of the day 3 picks have even turned into competent depth and competition

-Not consistently investing in the OL.

-The Hiestand hire



Other than drafting Daniels it has been a lot of failing.

 

[Montucky]

-Extend Leno, Massie, and Whitehair and they all regress.

Massie was bad last year but has rebounded a bit this year. Whitehair is simply playing the wrong position, the Bears have a history of doing that on the OL.

Leno is unforgivable though. What a disaster.

 

[WindyCity]

Massie was bad last year but has rebounded a bit this year. Whitehair is simply playing the wrong position, the Bears have a history of doing that on the OL.

Leno is unforgivable though. What a disaster.

Kyle Long gets hurt right after his extension and is never good again.

 

[Bort]

The last time the Bears picked an OT earlier than the 5th round was Cabe Carimi in 2011. It's been basically a decade since they've invested any real draft capital in the OT position.

 

[WindyCity]

The last time the Bears picked an OT earlier than the 5th round was Cabe Carimi in 2011. It's been basically a decade since they've invested any real draft capital in the OT position.

They have drafted a bunch of day 2 centres since then.

 

[Montucky]

The last time the Bears picked an OT earlier than the 5th round was Cabe Carimi in 2011. It's been basically a decade since they've invested any real draft capital in the OT position.

This actually sounds a lot worse than it actually is. There are about fifteen conventional NFL positions, its not outside the realm of possibility to neglect one for nine years.

The Packers have a good offensive line and haven't drafted an OT in the first round since 2011 either. The Seahawks went from having an offensive line very nearly as bad as the one the Bears have now a few years ago and rebuilt it to being damn good without investing a first round pick in an OT. Same goes for the Vikings.

Most glaringly, the Steelers haven't drafted an offensive tackle with their first pick since 1996 and it doesn't seem to have held them back much.

 

[Bort]

This actually sounds a lot worse than it actually is. There are about fifteen conventional NFL positions, its not outside the realm of possibility to neglect one for nine years.

The Packers have a good offensive line and haven't drafted an OT in the first round since 2011 either. The Seahawks went from having an offensive line very nearly as bad as the one the Bears have now a few years ago and rebuilt it to being damn good without investing a first round pick in an OT. Same goes for the Vikings.

Most glaringly, the Steelers haven't drafted an offensive tackle with their first pick since 1996 and it doesn't seem to have held them back much.

Well, I didn't say first round. I said earlier than the 5th round. That's a pretty big difference.

And all of those teams have used a second round pick on an OT in that timeframe (and the Seahawks traded their 5th and 2nd round picks for their current starting LT).

 

[Bort]

They have drafted a bunch of day 2 centres since then.

Relatedly, I think that teams should always err on the side of drafting an OT vs an interior lineman because college teams tend to play their most athletic offensive linemen at OT, and the transition from OT to interior lineman is much easier than the reverse. There are a bunch of examples of college tackles who became good NFL guards (and a few centers), but no college guards who became good NFL tackles.

 

[Bearly]

Relatedly, I think that teams should always err on the side of drafting an OT vs an interior lineman because college teams tend to play their most athletic offensive linemen at OT, and the transition from OT to interior lineman is much easier than the reverse. There are a bunch of examples of college tackles who became good NFL guards (and a few centers), but no college guards who became good NFL tackles.

They do tend to get projected correctly drafted accordingly and I do agree with you but then there are guys like Chris Williams and Spriggs that are more finesse LTs and tend to fail elsewhere. Why I didn't like either coming out. If they fail at LT, they fail. Other can just move inside as you stated.

Cody would be a great example of your post. Better LT in his final year than Spriggs but never projected as T in the NFL and why he lasted until late 2. Like I said, If a team strongly thinks a guy is a starting NFL LT, he'll go in one or early 2. Obviously, they can go anywhere like any position but the healthy consensus guys go early.

 

[dreadpirateroberts]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1320178905802788864

If we want to double dip at OT, this looks like the draft to do it.

 

[SlickWilly]

Massie was bad last year but has rebounded a bit this year. Whitehair is simply playing the wrong position, the Bears have a history of doing that on the OL.

Leno is unforgivable though. What a disaster.

So you're telling me if he was playing G he would stop standing up straight when he's blocking?? I doubt it. Doesn't matter if G or C his technique right now is terrible.