Chris Simms: Bears should draft offensive lineman to develop Justin Fields
Chris Simms: Bears should draft OL to develop Justin Fields originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Next up on the Bears’ checklist -- an offensive lineman, at least according to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio and Chris Simms.
On Tuesday’s episode of PFT Live, the duo broke down potential draftees for each team to target and if their predictions go according to plan, the Bears could have their “pick of the bunch” to protect quarterback Justin Fields.
Chicago traded away the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 9 pick, a second-round pick this year, a first-round pick next year and a second-round pick in 2025. They also acquired Carolina’s leading receiver, D.J. Moore, in the blockbuster deal.
In many ways, this trade is an indication of general manager Ryan Poles’ vision for the franchise. Despite finishing with the worst overall record last year, there’s a lot of optimism about Fields. With the team seemingly content with him as the centerpiece of their offense, it’s now a matter of finding the right supporting cast.
“Last year it was tear it down, this year it’s build it up,” Florio said. “They’re doing what they can to support Justin Fields.”
Simms said that support starts by improving the offensive line to provide Fields more time to pass from the pocket.
“You certainly could look at and go, ‘They could improve there for sure and help out their football team and help out Justin Fields and help out that style of football team we think they’re going to play this year,’” he said.
Field’s breakout came when head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff embraced the 24-year-old’s creativity in the run game. Fields missed the last game of the season with a hip injury, but he still finished just 63 yards short of breaking Lamar Jackson’s single-season rushing record by a quarterback.
“If you’re going to convert Justin Fields into a pocket passer, you need to have enough time to form a pocket so he will hang in there long enough to throw the ball, instead of rely upon that incredible running ability that he has,” Florio said.
Florio continued to say that developing Fields as a pocket passer will only extend his career and help him become the most effective quarterback he can be.
“If he’s not abandoning then he’s staying … It’s simple sometimes,” he said. “If you have better blockers, there’s a better chance he’s going to stay put and not try to take off and run for 50 yards.”
Simms identified two potential targets for the Bears to pursue: Ohio State’s Paris Johnson Jr. and Peter Skoronski, who spent the last three years playing just north of Chicago at Northwestern.
The Bears were the first team Florio and Simms suggested to pursue an offensive lineman at that point in the draft, so there’s every reason to believe one of the top prospects will still be on the board at No. 9.
