This is part three of our mini-series where we discuss draft targets for the Chicago Bears. In the first part, I discussed some possible running backs that they could go after. They will certainly look at running back in the draft, as they just traded away Jordan Howard to the Philadelphia Eagles. In part two, Josh Buckhalter took a look at some cornerbacks that could be available in the late rounds. With Bryce Callahan gone and Prince Amukamara getting older, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears tried to beef up their secondary even more. Today, I’ll be looking at some offensive line prospects the Bears could have their eyes on.
I’m going to be focusing on the interior offensive line. Bobby Massie and Charles Leno both just received extensions and will be there and starting for the Bears for the foreseeable future. Kyle Long continues to deal with injury after injury. He’s Pro Bowl caliber when healthy, but he’s struggled to stay on the field for the majority of his career. The Bears need an insurance plan to save Long for a possible playoff run. Luckily for the Bears, this offensive line class is very deep. They should be able to find a quality backup for Long, and maybe even a guy who can challenge Long for the starting position down the line.
Chicago Bears Draft Targets: Offensive Line
Dru Samia – Oklahoma
Dru Samia had a very good career at Oklahoma. He was a starter the majority of his four years, playing in 52 games and starting in 48 of them. He opened his college career as a right tackle. After his freshman season, Samia moved inside to guard where he excelled in Oklahoma’s high-powered offense. His sophomore season saw him get named as an honorable mention on the all-Big XII team. He didn’t allow a sack in all 597 snaps that he took. He improved even more during his junior season. Samia was named to the second team all-Big XII. That all culminated into a dream senior season. Samia, for the second time in his career, didn’t allow a sack. That led him to be selected to the first team all-Big XII, as well as a second-team All-American.
Samia has ideal size at 6’5″ and 302 pounds. He also possesses great athleticism and frequently displayed that athleticism as a run blocker. The knock on Samia is he doesn’t have good body control, especially in the passing game. That means that he can easily get overpowered by stronger defensive tackles. With the Bears having to face guys like Aaron Donald and Fletcher Cox next season, that is a problem. However, Samia would be a nice backup behind Long. He also played right tackle in college, so he could move there in case of injury.
Nate Herbig – Stanford
Nate Herbig is another player who had a very good college career. He was a three-year starter at guard for Stanford and helped them to become one of the most explosive offenses in the country. His freshman season was pretty quiet, as he only started in six games. His best year came during his sophomore season, where he was named to all-Pac 12 first team. He paved the way for Bryce Love to have an absolute dream season, where he finished in second place. 2018 was a rough year for Herbig, as he struggled with injury. Still, he was able to start seven games. He was named to second team all-Pac 12. There was a noticeable difference when Herbig was out of the lineup, as Love struggled to recreate the magic he had during his impressive run.
Herbig is another guy who possesses ideal size. He stands at 6’3″ and weighs 335 pounds. The strength of his game is his ability to block in the run game. The Bears struggled to run the ball last season, as they finished 27th in the league in yards per carry. That is something that head coach Matt Nagy would like to change. The Bears would like to emphasize the run game this season in order to take some pressure off of Mitchell Trubisky. Herbig would certainly help them improve their run game.
Ross Pierschbacher – Alabama
Ross Pierschbacher was a day one starter for Alabama. He started his first three years at left guard for the Crimson Tide. In those three seasons, he made the all-SEC second team during his sophomore year and the all-SEC first team during his junior season. In his senior season, Pierschbacher moved to center where he excelled even more. He was again named to all-SEC first team. In addition, he was also named as an AP second-team All-American. He is one of Alabama’s most decorated players, as he made all four college football playoffs, and won two national championships.
Pierschbacher is another player that will greatly help the Bears run game. He was influential in Alabama’s run-first offense and helped pave the way for guys like Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs, and Damien Harris. He also showed positional versatility and should be able to play any of the three interior positions on the offensive line.
Last Word on the Offensive Lineman
The Bears are looking to improve their run game this season. In this part, I focused on three guys who all were very well coached in college, and all had decorated careers. More importantly, they will be able to help the run game, which should assist in taking some pressure off of Trubisky. All of these players aren’t projected to go until the fourth or fifth round, so the Bears should be able to scoop up one of these guys if they decide to go the offensive line route.
