Chicago Bears four round mock draft after blockbuster trade

No. 9 – Paris Johnson Jr, OT, Ohio State

Protecting the blind side should be number one on the Bears’ list. Hopefully, they throw the brinks truck at right tackle Mike McGlinchey. Maybe they can sign a guy like Taylor Lewan who is familiar with Arthur Smith’s system. If they do, they need to focus on getting their left tackle and Paris Johnson is the perfect guy for the job.  Size and athleticism define the Ohio State offensive tackle. The 6’6″ 313-pound Johnson is a versatile offensive lineman who played right guard in 2021 before transitioning to left tackle in 2022.

As a left tackle, Johnson is an explosive athlete with exceptional range as a run blocker. He has impressive size, power, and athleticism, which leads to dominant reps with a tenacious finisher mentality. What stands out is his foot quickness, control, and length to thrive with vertical sets.

However, Johnson needs to work on his functional strength to increase his lower-body strength and power to create more displacement in the run game and improve his anchor. Additionally, his hand technique can be further developed to eliminate some of his two-hand strikes and vulnerability to inside moves.

Despite only playing left tackle for one season, Johnson has the potential to become an early NFL starter at left tackle and grow into an impact starter for a guy he’s protected before in Justin Fields. A bonus is Johnson the man. He has a strong background in volunteering and has established a foundation to help veterans and underprivileged children.

Other options are Northwestern, OT, Peter Skoronski, and Georgia, OT, Broderick Jones.