Chicago Bears: Larry Borom a sleeper rookie to watch in 2021
The Chicago Bears should be thrilled with their 2021 NFL Draft class as a whole. Fifth-round pick Larry Borom could be one of their top gems of the class.
The Chicago Bears‘ 2021 NFL Draft class is headlined by first-round pick Justin Fields, and rightfully so. Fields was a Heisman contender at Ohio State and one of the most fascinating quarterback prospects in the 2021 class with his big arm, athleticism, and production for the Buckeyes.
With that being said, the Bears had other picks in the 2021 NFL Draft that will undoubtedly make an instant impact. Tackle prospect Teven Jenkins will project as the team’s starter at left tackle after playing on the right side for Oklahoma State, and it’s very possible that Chicago will have rookie bookends at tackle with fifth-round pick Larry Borom on the right side.
Borom was a relatively unassuming selection at the time. On day three, you’re looking for upside shots and Borom is certainly representative of that. His outstanding size and athletic profile certainly bode well for his starting prospects as a rookie.
Larry Borom was drafted with pick 151 of round 5 in the 2021 draft class. He scored a 8.65 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 156 out of 1152 OG from 1987 to 2021. https://t.co/Z44Y7ekLR7 #RAS #Bears pic.twitter.com/L6gmX10ndK
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) May 1, 2021
Chicago Bears: Larry Borom a gem of a rookie
It’s possible that Larry Borom would have been drafted much higher with another year “on the job” at the college level with Missouri.
Despite the fact that he only started eight games last season for Missouri and split times at other positions prior to that, the Chicago Bears may need to go with the upside play here and try him out in the starting lineup.
The Bears signed veteran Elijah Wilkinson in free agency in the 2021 offseason after letting go of both left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and right tackle Bobby Massie. Those two veterans are out and with Wilkinson coming in, the Bears have someone who has proven to be a better option on the interior offensive line than he was as a tackle, at least in terms of pass protection.
Given Borom’s size and athletic profile, it would hardly be surprising to see him as a year one starter should he prove himself capable in training camp and preseason action.
He’s got to clean up his technique as he preferred to just run over guys at Missouri, but harnessing that aggressive style of play and tremendous upper-body strength can happen quickly.
The Chicago Bears’ brain trust of GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy is definitely under a lot of pressure this season. Proving they can quickly move on from two veteran tackles and immediately insert rookies into those spots — and have success — will go a long way toward those guys keeping their jobs beyond 2021.