Chicago Bears key on offense early in pre-Combine 7-round 2020 mock draft

The Chicago Bears need to do whatever they can to shore up the line. That doesn’t mean a complete overhaul but it does mean that there needs to be depth along the line. It doesn’t mean depth with older veterans taking up space. They end up getting injured when you need them the most.

The Bears addressed their starting guard spot by drafting Simpson. Now they need to add a backup for the tackles.

Terrence Steele provides good backup help. He won’t be a starter but he has a lot of experience since he was a four-year starter and plays well with the tools he has. He has good size at 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds, but he has difficulty with his bend. Also, he has stiff legs that give him trouble when he tries to change directions against a quick rusher. His length helps him keep rushers in front of him but when they counter he sometimes has trouble keeping up.

Speaking of his arms, Steele’s arms are like tree trunks. He makes an impact when he hits you in the chest. When he places his hand onto the rusher he knocks him off and slows him down. He also has good upper body strength. That allows him to push the defender away, opening holes for the running back to run through.

Steele can be good in a backup role. He can come in and give the starters some rest so they could stay not only fresh for the end of a game but also fresh enough to be healthy. The starting tackles are playing way too many snaps. Charles Leno Jr. played in 2,135 snaps over the last two seasons. Bobby Massie played in 1,682 in the same period even though his 2019 season was cut short.  Having quality backups will change that and, hopefully, things get better in 2020.