Chicago Bears Could Choose Jack Conklin With First Pick
As free agency has come and gone, mock draft predictions have been revamped to 4.0 or higher. But the Chicago Bears could go to the offense again.
The Chicago Bears were expected to go with a linebacker or pass rusher in the first round in most mock drafts. But the recent free agency signings have changed the direction of where the Bears could go. NFL Analyst Will Brinson of CBS Sports went this direction in his latest mock draft and proceeded to pick offensive tackle Jack Conklin as the choice of the Chicago Bears and I tend to agree with him.
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The Bears are obviously building a team around their veteran quarterback Jay Cutler, but the defense needs to be strong in order to give him that chance. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was tired of balancing a defense with the mediocre core that had already been in place. So they took care of this by bolstering up the D-line in free agency and inking several explosive players in Danny Trevathan, Jason Freeman and Aikem Hicks. The move by the Bears was a necessary fix as defenses continue to dominate the league.
Now that the defense is almost complete, the Bears need to address the needs on the offensive line. Right tackle Jordan Mills was released in the beginning of the 2015 season and replaced with Vladimir Ducasse. This forced right guard Kyle Long to switch to the right tackle position which was not his strong suit. He struggled through the season and knew it. However, picking up right tackle Bobby Massie from free agency, Long can move back to where he is strong and comfortable at the guard position.
The left tackle position was solid with veteran Jermod Bushrod until a concussion took him out of a few games. This led to the start of rookie Charles Leno. He became the starter but did not meet expectations as he earned a 32.4 overall grade in 2015 for allowing two sacks, four quarterback hits, and 17 quarterback hurries, according to Pro Football Focus. It’s not that he doesn’t have the tools and potential, but there is a lot of work and techniques he needs to master.
This is why the Chicago Bears need to take a top offensive tackle in the first round so that Cutler can get the protection he needs. It is expected that offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil will be off the board first for the Tennessee Titans and Ronnie Stanley to the Baltimore Ravens. This leaves Michigan State Jack Conklin available at number 11 for the Bears and he has the leadership and skills to mirror that of Long.
At six feet, six inches and weighing in at a little over 300 pounds, Conklin has great core strength and remarkable power in his hands. He can latch himself onto a defender like a leech, making it difficult for defenders to shake him off.
Conklin works well in combination blocks and is instinctively sound in pass protection, which is what Cutler needs. This showed in the game against Oregon when he would bounce defense end DeForest Buckner around like a pinball. He is a perfect fit for the left tackle position the Bears are looking for.
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Conklin will need to train hard in squaring his pads to hold back edge rushers such as Von Miller, Michael Bennett or Ezekiel Ansah.
However, this is an area that can be fixed and he has shown to be a young man who is teachable, plays like he wants it, and will fight for every inch. He will need to polish hand placement to insure he does not push the envelope and get inundated with holding calls. Conklin is consistent and tough and someone who will make sure that he protects the line with the likes of Matt Slauson, Kyle Long, and Bobby Massie.
Granted if Ronnie Stanley of Notre Dame is still on the board, I just can’t imagine the Bears passing him up for Conklin. Either way, the Chicago Bears will make every effort to anchor both sides of the line.