Chalk Talk: Which O-linemen will be on board?

[Staley Da Bear]

Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.


This year's draft has a lot of great talent on the offensive line. Who do you think the Bears will have a shot at getting?
Chad C.
Titusville, Pennsylvania


Even after reviewing several mock drafts by NFL writers, it's very difficult to forecast which prospects will remain on the board when the Bears pick at No. 43 and 50 in the second round. Three of the mock drafts I looked at have the Bears drafting an offensive lineman at No. 43: CBS Sports' Josh Edwards thinks they'll pick Louisiana guard/tackle Robert Hunt, NFL.com's Chad Reuter is predicting they'll take Michigan center/guard Cesar Ruiz and CBS Sports' Chris Trapasso feels the Bears will pick Houston tackle Josh Jones. Of course, it's impossible to predict whether any of those three players will still be available or if the Bears will actually select any of them. As we all know, that's what makes the draft so intriguing. One thing I've noticed this year is that mock drafts are all over the place in terms of predicting where the prospects will be picked. For example, the aforementioned Trapasso believes that five offensive linemen will be chosen from Nos. 43-57, while ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. has none being selected in those 15 slots.


Do you think the Bears will trade one of their second-round picks to get more draft picks?
George A.
Montreal, Canada


The Bears don't have any picks in the third or fourth rounds and I'm sure that Ryan Pace, just like every other NFL general manager, would love to add a couple of extra picks if possible. But he also believes in quality over quantity, so he's not going to pass on a player he's targeting simply to acquire additional draft capital. Conversely, if the Bears are assured of still being able to land one of the prospects they covet in a trade-down scenario, I'd expect them to at least consider the possibility.


Pace has made nine trades during his first five drafts with the Bears, moving up six times and down three times. Interestingly, all three occasions he moved down came in the second round: In 2016, the Bears traded down twice in the second round—moving down eight spots and then seven more—before picking center Cody Whitehair at No. 56. First, they dealt the No. 41 choice to the Bills in exchange for selections in the second (No. 49) and fourth (No. 117) rounds and a fourth-rounder in 2017. The Bears then traded the No. 49 pick to the Seahawks in exchange for choices in the second (No. 56) and fourth (No. 124) rounds. They took Whitehair at No. 56 and safety Deon Bush at No. 124. They used the No. 117 pick to trade up to draft linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. In 2017, they used the fourth-round pick they had obtained from the Bills in 2016 to move up to pick safety Eddie Jackson.


In 2017, the Bears traded down in the second round with the Cardinals from No. 36 to 45 before choosing tight end Adam Shaheen. They also sent a seventh-round selection (No. 221) in the deal in exchange for picks in the fourth (No. 119) and sixth (No. 197) rounds as well as a 2018 fourth-round choice. The Bears drafted running back Tarik Cohen at No. 119 and selected linebacker Joel Iyiegbuniwe at No. 115 in the fourth round in 2018.


Pace has also traded up in the second round once. In 2018, the Bears sent a fourth-round pick (No. 105) and a 2019 second-round choice to the Patriots for a second-round selection (No. 51) that they spent on receiver Anthony Miller.


When was the last time the Bears had two picks in the second round of the draft?
Phil P.
Lafayette, Indiana


The last time the Bears had two second-round picks was in 2018 when they selected offensive lineman James Daniels at No. 39 and receiver Anthony Miller at No. 51. Prior to that, the previous time the Bears had a pair of second-round selections was in 2006 when they chose safety Danieal Manning at No. 42 with a pick they obtained from the Bills and record-breaking return specialist Devin Hester at No. 57.