Not having a 1st round pick makes the job for GM Ryan Pace difficult going into the 2020 NFL draft. He does have two 2nd round picks, but those carry a lot more uncertainty given a lower hit rate for finding good players. This is often why teams tend to target certain names who they deem having "1st round talent" but fell for some reason. Most often concerns over medicals. A perfect example is Lucas Niang.
Most people aren't really talking about the TCU offensive tackle. This isn't a big surprise. The 2020 draft class of offensive tackles is positively stacked. So it's easy for a guy recovering from hip surgery to be lost in the shuffle. However, a team like the Bears should pay close attention. They are looking for possible answers beyond Charles Leno and Bobby Massie this offseason.
Niang was widely viewed as a 1st round prospect prior to his injury. A dominant right tackle who didn't allow a sack as a junior in 2018. If Pace is smart and willing to wait a year, then this kid will be a fixture for the Bears offensive line for 10 years.
"Dancing bear with good agility and a great football IQ. He doesn't carry his weight proportionally and looked heavier/slower in 2019, but he clearly has NFL starting talent. Niang is a scheme-diverse run blocker with athleticism for move blocks and technique/leverage to open running lanes with power. He plays with top-notch awareness and instincts in pass pro..."
Lucas Niang is a shut down pass blocker when healthy
Keep in mind that Chase Young is considered one of the best pass rushers to come out of college football in many years. For him to give such respect to Niang is something to note. It's not like the big tackle isn't tough either. He actually played through his hip injury last season. Doctors eventually convinced him that he might do more damage if he didn't have surgery. So he bowed out for the year.
This is a potentially huge break for the Bears. One thing about the offensive scheme that head coach Matt Nagy runs is it works best with at least one dominant pass blocker. Mitchell Schwartz in Kansas City is a perfect example. Lane Johnson in Philadelphia is another. Chicago hasn't had that with Massie. There is no question Niang has that potential. All he has to do is get healthy. The best part is he'll have a year to do so since Massie should remain the starter in 2020.
It might not be an instant contributor the Bears would like as a draft pick, but sometimes the long-term gain is worth the short-term sacrifice.
Comments
Join the discussion below. Keep it civil and focused on the content.
Loading comments...