The 2025 Offensive Tackle Market & why it might suck for the Bears

HearshotKDS

Well-known member
Joined:
Sep 9, 2012
Posts:
7,192
Liked Posts:
7,299
Location:
Lake Forest
With the smoke finally cleared from the Detroit drubbing, there is 1 result of the game that I want to take a closer look at - how the Bears have to approach OT in the offseason. Many have already been pounding the table for an upgrade at LT, and it was probably close to unanimous that the team needed to replace their swing tackle (Borom) with a much better player, but having 2 healthy starters that were at least at the Mendoza line for acceptable play gave the team some flexibility with how they approached finding OT in the offseason. That may no longer be the case.

What the Bears currently have under contract for '25:

* Darnell Wright -
10th overall pick going into his 3rd season, you would be crazy not to assume he has the starting RT job

* Kiran Amegadjie - 3rd round project pick that should have been red-shirted if you draft him, but given the tape he has shown you cant pencil in as OT3 next season.

* Braxton Jones - This is ultimately the crux of my post. Jones is an agile OT who has so far had a bad anchor. While ideally the team could upgrade him, he at least provides a baseline of play at the position you could live with. He would have brought the flexibility to ease a rookie OT in, maybe a 2nd or 3rd round pick starts as OT3 but with a chance to win the job when Jones misses a few games (seems like a certainty) and we need the swingtackle to come in. But after his injury yesterday, that may no longer be the case. We'll know more going forward, but cant help but notice the pop and immediate buckle before the awkward fall on the damaged leg. Google says the speculated injury here has a 6-12 month recovery which means best case scenario Jones is probably missing camp and coming into the season with a lower body injury on a player who struggled with his anchor before the injury, and when was the last time a Bears player had an ideal return from serious injury? Hes probably dead, knowing the Bears luck.

Assuming Jones injury is worst case scenario, that means Bears need to find a day 1 starter at LT and a swing tackle to boot. So lets take a look at the likely places to get those:

FREE AGENCY

This is not a good year for OTs in Free Agency, I think there rarely are good years and '25 sure as shit aint one. Lets take a look at some that are available as of now - really important caveat.

* Ronnie Stanley - Easily the best of the bunch, BALs current starter. He has been a good pass protector for pretty much his entire career and has only given up 2 sacks and 4 QB hits in 520 pass snaps, and he also has a QB that likes to run around like an idiot (similar to what he might expect in Chicago). If he hits FA he's probably going to get $20-25M a year, but BAL is likely to do everything they can to keep him.

* Garrett Bolles - He has only given up 1 sack and 2 qb hits in 597 snaps, he would be another good starter option. Just kidding, DEN extended him to the tune of 4 years - $82M. Get cucked and fucked, other teams.

* Cam Robinson - He has given up 6 sacks and and 6 hits in 538 snaps, so statistically a big step down from the above 2. Salary projections so far are $18M+ for 3-4 years, woof.

* Morgan Moses - 34 year old RT, hasnt been the worst and he at least is currently starting.

* Jedrick Willis - 1st round pick in 2020 that has had 2 consecutive years with significant knee injuries and hasnt shown a high level of play when he was "healthy".

* Tyron Smith - 35 year old LT coming off what is likely a season ending neck injury.

Not a lot of good options for a team who needs a LT ready to start day 1. So what does the draft provide?

Tackle Prospects in the Draft

Here's a list of the OT prospects, I like Draft Buzz because they do the comparison of where players are ranked/rated on their peers sites as well (dont just take their word for it these guys miss a ton). This is very much a WIP, at the bare minimum you can expect significant shakeup after the combine and there's probably going to be movement before then as well.

Most sites ive read have Milum and Savaiinaea as Gs in the NFL, but given the Bears are likely to be picking high its likely they will have a shot at one of the top 2 OTs in the draft. Im no CFB expert and have no idea how these OTs look beyond the 2-3 games I see and what i read in pre-draft content, but it seems likely the 2nd OT would not be the best player available when the Bears draft (OT1 might be though). I'm a bit reluctant to write this into existence, but I'm getting a bit of a "time is a flat circle" vibe from this offseason where the Bears may have to pass on a super talented and disruptive DLineman to take the OT2 who ends up being OK/fine/not bad.

For CCS members who follow the college game more closely or know of vet options that im missing, what do you have to add to the conversation?
 

gallagher

Ave Atque Vale
Donator
Joined:
Sep 27, 2010
Posts:
7,839
Liked Posts:
6,946
Location:
Of Semi-Fixed Address
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. Michigan Wolverines
  2. Ohio Bobcats
If you are right - damn, slim picking out there this offseason. And given that the Bears could offer the most money and any tackle could still choose to go to a team with more wins to their name will make it that much harder. I do favor drafting OT in the first round if a good prospect is to be had, but I fear that the Bears will be in a bad position there too. It may be that the best this team can do to improve the performance at tackle is to get massive upgrades at guard to help them out.
 

gallagher

Ave Atque Vale
Donator
Joined:
Sep 27, 2010
Posts:
7,839
Liked Posts:
6,946
Location:
Of Semi-Fixed Address
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Cubs
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Chicago Blackhawks
  1. Michigan Wolverines
  2. Ohio Bobcats
I do not mind trading a draft pick in the way that Poles acquired Sweat. The draft pick sent out returned a starting player at a vital position, whom the team can rely on for the next four years. Is there a trade target that anyone can point to?
 

Gustavus Adolphus

?‍♂️?
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '20
Joined:
Jun 15, 2010
Posts:
46,119
Liked Posts:
35,345
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago White Sox
  1. Chicago Bulls
  1. Chicago Bears
  1. Nebraska Cornhuskers
  2. Villanova Wildcats
Jones will definitely talk about how he's improved his strength and anchor on the first day of training camp.
 

HearshotKDS

Well-known member
Joined:
Sep 9, 2012
Posts:
7,192
Liked Posts:
7,299
Location:
Lake Forest
Patrick mekari, Alaric Jackson and dj Humphries are also names worth mentioning.

Mekari may be a younger cheaper option that Baltimore decides to stick with and let Stanley walk (at least I am hoping).
Im not going to pretend to have watched a ton of BAL games, but from the brief googlefu I did on Mekari it seems BAL fans believe he was a bad RT but a fantastic guard/swiss army knife depth guy. He also has 31.6 inch arms which I think supports their fans who seem to be saying he has all pro technique but a college football body. I dont think BAL sees him as a replacement for Stanley.

The other 2 are interesting names I will need to take a closer look at.
 
Last edited:
Joined:
Aug 20, 2012
Posts:
6,252
Liked Posts:
2,604
Location:
New York State(sucks)
They have a top 10 pick and will be even closer to a top 5 when all is said and done. They will have a clear shot at a top OT.

As a matter of fact I'm hoping the Bears will trade back and snag Aireontae Ersery. Ersery is my favorite offensive lineman in this class.

Excellent anchor
Excellent run blocker
Very good pass blocker but does need to brush up on his footwork. That can be coached up

Ersery is a more athletic Tevin Jenkins minus the nagging injuries
 

HearshotKDS

Well-known member
Joined:
Sep 9, 2012
Posts:
7,192
Liked Posts:
7,299
Location:
Lake Forest
They have a top 10 pick and will be even closer to a top 5 when all is said and done. They will have a clear shot at a top OT.

As a matter of fact I'm hoping the Bears will trade back and snag Aireontae Ersery. Ersery is my favorite offensive lineman in this class.

Excellent anchor
Excellent run blocker
Very good pass blocker but does need to brush up on his footwork. That can be coached up

Ersery is a more athletic Tevin Jenkins minus the nagging injuries
Ersery might be available with the Bears 2nd round pick if it keeps climbing, thats exactly the type of swing I think the Bears can afford to take if you have Jones healthy for the year. Which might be the case if his injury is indeed just an ankle fracture.

I think ideally the Bears would love to be able to be able to draft a swing tackle with upside to push/replace starters outside of the 1st round and use the first on the true best available lineman (whether thats O or D).
 

dreadpirateroberts

Well-known member
Joined:
Nov 29, 2013
Posts:
1,936
Liked Posts:
768
Location:
Planet Earth
I think some fans would lose it if they took an injured player in the 1st, but some in the draft community have said that Josh Simmons was playing himself towards being OT1 before getting hurt. If he falls in the 2nd, I think you take a swing.

Here’s what Brandon Thorn of BR/Trench Warfare had to say about Simmons:

Each class has a player that I turn on the tape for the first time having never watched them before and instantly sit up in my chair with that excitement growing the more that I watch. This year, that player was Simmons, a 6’5”, 310 pound former San Diego State transfer who was in his second season starting for the Buckeyes before suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury on play 25 against Oregon in Week 6.

Prior to the injury, Simmons was my initial top-ranked tackle in the class due to being a twitched up mover who is well-built with good thickness throughout his frame and starter-level play strength. He closes space in a flash in his pass sets and has the necessary range to expand his set points and widen rushers up the arc to protect the corner and on the move in the run game, arriving on contact balanced with power. Simmons was just getting into Big Ten opponents and the best competition on the Buckeyes’ schedule when his injury occurred, so he was dominant but largely untested this season.

There are shades of former Virginia Tech and current Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw as a prospect in Simmons’ game. The expectation is that he will fully recover and regain his movement skills after the injury. Simmons has arguably the best blend of size, movement skills and power in the class at tackle.
 
Last edited:

dreadpirateroberts

Well-known member
Joined:
Nov 29, 2013
Posts:
1,936
Liked Posts:
768
Location:
Planet Earth
Membou is definitely a name to keep an eye on. Guard is probably his best spot in the NFL, but some believe he’s got the arm length and athleticism to play tackle. He’s the type of prospect that you pick and figure out it later because he’ll be starting somewhere on this line
 
Last edited:

DanielCCSBears

Well-known member
Joined:
Jul 7, 2022
Posts:
5,035
Liked Posts:
1,615
My favorite teams
  1. Chicago Bears
Bears would be wise to give Wright a 2 game tryout at LT to end the year. Small sample size but it couldn’t hurt.
Yeah good idea put concrete feet on the left side where he has to change to his entire mechanics from his stance to his hand placement to his footwork and make a potential long-term decision on that two game sample size.

Absolutely brilliant take.
 

Discus fish salesman

Well-known member
Joined:
Mar 31, 2018
Posts:
15,831
Liked Posts:
20,516
I think some fans would lose it if they took an injured player in the 1st, but some in the draft community have said that Josh Simmons was playing himself towards being OT1 before getting hurt. If he falls in the 2nd, I think you take a swing.

Here’s what Brandon Thorn of BR/Trench Warfare had to say about Simmons:

Each class has a player that I turn on the tape for the first time having never watched them before and instantly sit up in my chair with that excitement growing the more that I watch. This year, that player was Simmons, a 6’5”, 310 pound former San Diego State transfer who was in his second season starting for the Buckeyes before suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury on play 25 against Oregon in Week 6.

Prior to the injury, Simmons was my initial top-ranked tackle in the class due to being a twitched up mover who is well-built with good thickness throughout his frame and starter-level play strength. He closes space in a flash in his pass sets and has the necessary range to expand his set points and widen rushers up the arc to protect the corner and on the move in the run game, arriving on contact balanced with power. Simmons was just getting into Big Ten opponents and the best competition on the Buckeyes’ schedule when his injury occurred, so he was dominant but largely untested this season.

There are shades of former Virginia Tech and current Vikings LT Christian Darrisaw as a prospect in Simmons’ game. The expectation is that he will fully recover and regain his movement skills after the injury. Simmons has arguably the best blend of size, movement skills and power in the class at tackle.
I wouldn't be mad about Simmons. I think he's better than banks. So you can take a consensus guy like banks at 9 (or an edge like Pierce/Scourton/Georgia guys) or reach for a player like Simmons who you believe has higher upside.
 

ZOMBIE@CTESPN

Well-known member
Joined:
Dec 19, 2012
Posts:
19,037
Liked Posts:
17,525
Location:
MICHIGAN
Poles passed up on great options the last 3 years to trot out a poverty oline. Next year will be another turd season
 

bamainatlanta

You wake him up, you keep him up
Staff member
Donator
CCS Hall of Fame '22
Joined:
Aug 10, 2013
Posts:
38,474
Liked Posts:
35,782
Location:
Cumming
Yeah good idea put concrete feet on the left side where he has to change to his entire mechanics from his stance to his hand placement to his footwork and make a potential long-term decision on that two game sample size.

Absolutely brilliant take.
Get fucked fatass. Thanks.
 

Top