If there is one thing Chicago Bears fans have learned over the past decade, life is way easier for an offensive line when you have a great center. Olin Kreutz made that clear during his dominant run in the 2000s. Since his departure, the team has seen mixed results at the position. Cody Whitehair had his moments, including a Pro Bowl in 2018, but he never quite established himself as a top guy. James Daniels failed to get going in 2019. Sam Mustipher is a try-hard guy with limited physical capability. Lucas Patrick’s first attempt ended almost immediately with a season-ending foot injury.
Nobody would be surprised if GM Ryan Poles entered this off-season with finding a center as one of his top objectives. The position is crucial in any offense, but it’s especially needed in a wide-zone system with high demands on athleticism and intelligence. That might explain why Jack McKessy of The Draft Network listed the Bears as the top fit for John Michael Schmitz. Many experts view the Minnesota product as the best center in the 2023 draft. He reinforced those views with an excellent performance at the Senior Bowl.
If Chicago can find out where he is likely to fall in the draft, they must go get him.
“This would be a great story: Chicago kid returns to his hometown to improve the Bears’ offensive line in a big way and help out former Big Ten rival Justin Fields. Chicago desperately needs help on the offensive line after they allowed an NFL-high 55 sacks on their quarterback last season. Third-year center Sam Mustipher was alright in 2022 but is set to become a restricted free agent in March, and the position could use an upgrade regardless.
Should the Bears trade back from the first overall pick, they may find themselves in perfect position to draft Schmitz, who would start for them immediately, provide an upgrade on the interior in both run- and pass-blocking, and be the leader that the young Chicago offensive line could rally around.”
The Chicago Bears could do way worse than Schmitz.
Current projections have the Cook County native going somewhere in the 2nd round. While he has 1st round ability, teams may not wish to spend a pick that high on a player that will be 24 years old this season. So early on Day 2 feels like when his name will start surfacing. Chicago doesn’t go on the clock until the 53rd selection. That means they either have to hope Schmitz somehow falls to them or, more likely, they must find a way into the top half of the round. That can be accomplished by moving up from #53 or acquiring a pick in that range by trading down from #1 overall.
It won’t be easy. Still, Schmitz is the kind of player that can immediately help stabilize the offensive line. The Chicago Bears have said they’re committed to helping Justin Fields. Improving his protection is a vital component of that. While his range and run-blocking are both good, his ability to anchor against interior rushers can’t be understated. This is a plug-and-play starter.
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