Bears keeping all options open to find OT in 2023 draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- It should take just one glance at the Bears' current depth chart to find the most glaring need general manager Ryan Poles must address in the 2023 NFL Draft.
If the season started today, the Bears' current right tackle options are Larry Borom and Alex Leatherwood. Neither are appealing options if the Bears want to keep quarterback Justin Fields clean in a critical season for his development.
Tackle is expected to be the Bears' priority when they go on the clock with the No. 9 pick in Thursday's first round of the draft.
Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. and Georgia's Broderick Jones are viewed as prototypical NFL left tackles. Tennessee's Darnell Wright is a plug-and-play option at right tackle, while Northwestern's Peter Skoronski is an option on either side but might have to kick inside to guard eventually due to arm length.
The Bears know the options in front of them should they go tackle in Round 1. But they also have a lot of faith in offensive line coach Chris Morgan's ability to develop a later-round selection should they choose a different route in Round 1.
Local
“I feel like the Day 1 group, all the household names, everybody knows," Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham said Tuesday at Halas Hall during his pre-draft media availability. "There’s a lot of this guy can play left tackle, this guy can play right tackle. There’s players that have played both left tackle and right tackle. There’s players that have played, also, inside. And then, there’s players that you kind of project inside. Or they can play outside.
"But then if you trickle down, I think you get a lot of that similar skillset, but maybe not the top-tier athleticism. But you feel comfortable with it. We were able to take Braxton last year in the fifth, and when you have a guy like Chris Morgan -- who I think is one of the better offensive line coaches in the league and one of the best teachers in the league at the position – you feel comfortable with some of those guys.”
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
The thin nature of the 2023 draft class should make for an unpredictable first round. However, Cunningham, Poles, and the Bears' front office are prepared for any situation they could find themselves in at No. 9, from having their pick of the tackle littler to pivoting to a different need.
"I think that's what we're still working through," Cunningham said. "We're always using as many scenarios as we can. You try to put yourself in the worst-case position and what that looks like, and you feel comfortable with the decisions in which we'll ultimately make by putting ourselves in the worst-case situation, but again, we'll have to wait until Thursday to see."
RELATED: Schrock's Final Bears Mock Draft: Can Poles check every box?
The Bears spent time with all four top tackles, but it feels like Skoronski and Wright are the leaders in the clubhouse.
Wright believes he impressed Poles on his top-30 visit to Halas Hall and struck up a quick connection with Morgan, who promised to help Wright reach his ceiling should he be selected.
Drafting either Wright or Skoronski would allow the Bears to leave Braxton Jones at left tackle and see where his development is after his first full NFL offseason. Taking Broderick Jones or Johnson would force the Bears to shift Braxton Jones to right tackle or ask the first first-round pick of this regime to make an early-career position change.
That's possible but seems less likely.
While offensive tackle figures to be the Bears' focus at No. 9, two players could potentially alter that plan: Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter and Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson.
Should Wilson slip to nine in an unlikely scenario, it's hard to see the Bears passing up on a prospect who checks every box for head coach Matt Eberflus.
As for Carter, he's the most talented player in the draft on paper. But character red flags have dinged his draft stock and could see him slide down to No. 9. If that happens, the Bears will have to make a tough choice between Carter and one of the top tackles.
Should the Bears bet on their culture and select Carter at No. 9, they'll be betting on their evaluation process to unearth a Day 2 gem who can start immediately.
Oklahoma's Anton Harrison could be an option, although most mocks have him going long before the Bears go on the clock at No. 53. As does Ohio State's Dawand Jones. That leaves Maryland's Jaelyn Duncan, Syracuse's Matthew Bergeron, and North Dakota State's Cody Mauch (another potential future guard) as their options.
The lack of depth at the offensive tackle position in this class is the main reason to believe the Bears will target one of the top four protectors at No. 9.
But they are keeping all of their options open for what should be a wild first round Thursday night.
Click here to follow the Under Center Podcast.
