Chicago Bears: 5 Offensive tackles to target in 2021 NFL Draft

Whether it is due to injuries or poor play, the Chicago Bears have had trouble at their tackle positions the past few years. Here are five tackles they can target in this year’s draft.

Well, the free agency whirlwind has now died down. The Chicago Bears made some moves, some popular and others not so much. Now that they’ve made their free agency moves, their attention now turns to the NFL Draft, which starts on April 29.

The Bears are looking for prospects who can help improve the roster and win more than the eight games the team won in each of the past two seasons. Some of them hopefully become new stars while others are there to add depth at different positions.

While all the attention has been given to the quarterback spot, there are some other positions of need. One of them is along the offensive line. If the Bears don’t go for a quarterback right away, they could have a number of options at tackle. With the trades that happened recently, many quarterbacks could be taken early. With a deep tackle class, the Bears could have a number of available tackles later in the first round.

The Bears’ offensive line was in tatters for a large part of the season. Injuries and COVID took their toll on the unit. However, the coaches found a combination that did a good job down the stretch.

Heading into the 2021 season, it appears as if the interior of the line is set and solid. Cody Whitehair at left guard, Sam Mustipher at center, and James Daniels at right guard is a pretty solid interior line. Throw in Alex Bars for depth and they are on good ground there.

The tackle spots, though, are a different story. Left tackle Charles Leno continues to struggle in pass protection and keeps committing too many penalties. I thought he’d be a salary cap casualty this offseason but the Bears apparently gave him another chance.

On the other side, the team cut ties with Bobby Massie. Massie actually played his position better than Leno did his, but his injury situation likely cost him a job. He missed 14 games over the past two seasons so the Bears decided to re-sign Germain Ifedi.

The Bears also signed Elijah Wilkinson but he is a rotational player, not a starter. He can play both the guard and tackle positions so he gives the Bears added flexibility.

While the Bears have Ifedi again, his deal was just for one season. He played well when he was at right tackle (he gave up just one sack), but the Bears apparently aren’t sold on him yet.

We’ve seen enough of Leno to know that this is likely his last season in Chicago unless he plays lights out. Instead of waiting and dealing with another subpar season, the Bears need to have someone who can step in.

Here are five offensive tackles the Chicago Bears should target in the 2021 draft.

The 6-7, 310-pound Samuel Cosmi started 34 of his 35 games at tackle. He started at both left and right tackle so he can provide flexibility there. He has a lean body and can pack on another 10 pounds or so on his frame.

In run blocking, Cosmi does a good job of getting to the second level. However, on the first level, he has a lack of play strength. He won’t move bodies with his strength. What he does to compensate is use his length to shield defenders and open running lanes.

Cosmi also uses his length as an advantage in pass coverage. He takes long steps and gets outside quickly to keep defenders from bending and turning the corner on him.

Cosmi is very athletic and sometimes relies on that to make up for some technical flaws. In college, he was more athletic than the pass rushers so he was able to take advantage of that. At the pro level, however, many of the pass rushers he’ll face will be as athletic if not more than he. He needs to be more technically sound.

Cosmi can be a rotational player to begin his professional career. After a season to bulk up a little and work on his technique, he’ll be able to take over and do well at either tackle spot.