Experts often like using NFL comparisons to help illustrate what type of player somebody can be once drafted. However, perhaps a better way for fans to absorb this is by hearing comparisons of names they remember more than most. That is the case here with the Chicago Bears. I reviewed the list of the most likely names the team could select at #10 this coming Thursday. From there, I combed through the franchise archives to find certain names that match their profiles. It led to some fascinating results.
The Chicago Bears have some notable comps worth considering.
Will Campbell (OT, LSU)
Comp: Kyle Long
Long was a highly athletic tackle out of Oregon with average length. Many felt he could've played tackle in the NFL, but the Bears opted to move him inside to guard. Campbell is facing those same questions. He has the athleticism, temperament, and technique of a tackle. Unfortunately, he doesn't have the preferred length. Any team that takes him would be gambling that he can either handle playing tackle with that disadvantage or move inside to guard.
Mason Graham (DT, Michigan)
Comp: Tommie Harris
Two reasons kept Harris from being a top-10 pick in 2004: size and health concerns. Nobody could argue he had the explosion, quickness, and violence of an interior pass rusher. That played out exactly as hoped. Graham is built the same way. He's undersized, leaving some to wonder if he can handle bigger blockers in the NFL. However, they don't question his burst, quickness, or hand-fighting skills.
Tyler Warren (TE, Penn State)
Comp: Martellus Bennett
Bennett was probably the most complete tight end the Chicago Bears ever employed. Not only was he a good pass-catcher, but he also won high marks for his blocking. Though Warren is 20 lbs lighter than Bennett was, his game reflects the same traits. He's athletic enough to be a weapon in the passing game and has the physicality and toughness for blocking duties.
Ashton Jeanty (RB, Boise State)
Comp: Neal Anderson
It was tempting to go with Walter Payton, but that is something you just don't do. People often forget how excellent Anderson was in Chicago. He had good power for his size and was a legitimate weapon in the passing game as a receiver. His four Pro Bowls reflected those abilities. Jeanty has a similar build to Anderson and a style that would've fit perfectly in the 1980s. Unlike Anderson, he appears to have the necessary durability for the NFL level.
Kelvin Banks (OT, Texas)
Comp: John Tait
Tait never got the credit he deserved. The former tackle was always overshadowed by more famous teammates like Willie Roaf and Will Shields in Kansas City or Olin Kreutz and Reuben Brown in Chicago. That didn't stop him from being an excellent run blocker who handled his business most of the time in pass protection. He wasn't perfect, but he got the job done. That is Banks in a nutshell.
Armand Membou (OT, Missouri)
Comp: Charles Leno
There are some key differences between the two. Leno was longer. Membou is thicker. However, the two seem to share that same quiet athleticism mixed with determined force in their blocking. Leno never got credit for how good he was in Chicago. He was never the star, but he was dependable. Membou was much the same way in college. It doesn't matter where you plug him. He will do his job.
Omarion Hampton (RB, North Carolina)
Comp: Rick Casares
While Hampton at #10 is unlikely, it feels possible because he fits the exact type of player Ben Johnson would love. Remember, David Montgomery helped elevate his offense to something special in Detroit. Everything from the power to the contact balance and vision made him a menace to deal with. Rick Casares was the exact same way in the 1950s and '60s for the Bears. Hampton was the engine of North Carolina's offense for two years, largely playing a similar style based on wearing down the defense with unrelenting force.
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