Chicago Bears: 5 Offensive guards to target in 2018 NFL Draft

Sean Welsh, Iowa — 6-3, 300 pounds

The Iowa Hawkeyes are a factory of NFL offensive linemen. Out of the 20 former players on NFL rosters, nine of them are offensive linemen. Scouts who need linemen take a look at Iowa first. The next in line to hit the NFL is Sean Welsh.

Unlike Wynn, Welsh isn’t the rough and tough mean, aggressive lineman. He doesn’t attract any attention and there is no hype around him. What he is, however, is dependable. Plug him onto the line and you don’t need to worry about him. His athleticism is nothing to write home about, but he just finds a way to get the job done.

While not great at any one thing, Welsh is solid at everything. He has a good low center of gravity and his lower body is pretty strong. His technique is good and he is quick off the snap, helping him keep rushers away; he gets low to get good leverage.

Welsh is another player who plays multiple positions. He’s played tackle, guard, and center. He may be better suited to play center. The Bears may decide to move Whitehair over to guard and Welsh could take over center (sorry I think the Hroniss Grasu experiment should be terminated).

The biggest knock on Welsh is mental. He announced in July of last year that he battled depression. This is a big issue with the NFL. You can have a broken bone or torn ligaments and come back fine. If you admit a mental problem, the league views you differently. We in Chicago saw what happened with wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

Welsh had a great 2017 season. He started all 13 games for the Hawkeyes, earning Second-team All-Big Ten. Additionally, he has a lot of experience. He started 46 of his 50 games at Iowa and projects as a 4th round pick. Welsh isn’t flashy and he isn’t great. He is, however, a solid player who can step in and do his job. This is something the Bears really need.