Chicago Bears: Why Not A Proven Left Tackle At 11th Pick?

Sometimes the best picks in an NFL draft are the most obvious ones.  The teams that tend to struggle every year are the ones that get cute with their boards, always seeking out the fancy names with the athletic upside, not bothering to see a proven, productive player still waiting.  Everybody wants the home run pick, refusing to understand that hitting singles, doubles and triples enough times does the job just as well.

The Chicago Bears know they are approaching a critical juncture in their rebuilding process.  GM Ryan Pace has done a masterful job transforming one of the oldest rosters in the NFL into one of the youngest, all without losing too much in terms of talent.  He has put together another solid free agency, opening up his opportunity to go after the best players available in the draft.

The question on the minds of fans is will he go for the exotic pick?  A player who might not be proven yet but has tremendous upside.  He certainly has the experienced coaching staff to take such a risk, but Pace doesn’t strike as the kind of general manager that would do that.  If there is a quality player on the board whom he believes still has upside and is already experienced and good at what he does, he’ll take that route.

That is why it’s surprising more people haven’t talked about Michigan State left tackle Jack Conklin.  Most of the current draft projections have him being available at #11.  Initial fears with him were regarding his athletic ceiling.  Did he have the quickness and movement skills to handle NFL speed on the edge?  Questions he answered with a standout performance at the scouting combine.

People already know he’s experienced, tough, strong and carries that extra bit of nasty that coaches love in top offensive linemen.  He’s a worker who doesn’t back down from anybody.  Some will argue the 11th pick is too high to take him, but is it?  There is little left to criticize with him.  He’s polished in a pro-style offense, carries tons of winning experience against top competition and has no discernible injury history.

Put it this way.  Would you play him over Charles Leno Jr.?  It’s hard to imagine an offensive line with Conklin, Matt Slauson, Hroniss Grasu, Kyle Long and Bobby Massie being less effective than the one they have at present.  Leno was a 7th round pick.  There is no denying he’s a good athlete but his game isn’t as complete as the one Conklin brings, who is already a better run blocker and is at least as good a pass protector.

If the Chicago Bears were looking for a “safe” pick that stands the greatest chance of becoming a key contributor to the future success of the franchise, a legitimate left tackle would be a positive direction to go.