Plenty of names have been mentioned for the Chicago Bears' 10th overall pick next month. Most agree that left tackle should be in that discussion, but the overall feeling is that the current crop of prospects has red flags that don't make the risk worth it. Will Campbell of LSU is the perfect example. He has multiple years of solid tape going against the best of the SEC. He's smart, tough, and athletic. One would think the Bears would be all over that. There is one unfortunate problem: his arm length.
Generally, teams prefer tackles that have arms around 34 inches or longer. They are willing to live with it as long as it is at least 33. Campbell's arms came in on 32 and 5/8 inches at the scouting combine in February. The list of successful tackles in the NFL with arms that short is limited. The belief was those measurements ruined any chance of Chicago considering him. However, draft insider Tony Pauline of Sportskeedia provided an update. It appears many around the league were unhappy with how the measurements at the combine were handled.
If you've followed my pro-day reporting, you'll notice there has been a significant difference in arm length measurements at the combine versus pro-day workouts, the Senior Bowl or the Shrine Bowl.
Trapilo, who just did position drills Monday, is another example. His arm length at the Senior Bowl was 33 1/2 inches, while the combine mark was an even 33 inches. The overall feeling is the measurements in Indianapolis were shorter than they should've been.
Will Campbell might clear the critical red line after all.
Based on the data available, it seems many players came up around half an inch short of their true length. If so, that means Campbell would've crossed the crucial 33-inch mark. While still not ideal, it is far more acceptable than his current marks show. One must keep in mind who coaches this team. Ben Johnson coached two Pro Bowlers in Detroit. Neither Taylor Decker nor Penei Sewell were known for great length. Decker had 33 3/4-inch arms, and Sewell was 33 and 1/2.
It doesn't seem as if the Bears head coach would pass on a great blocker just because his arms are an inch or half an inch shorter than preferred. He cares about the guy's intelligence, toughness, and violent tendencies. Will Campbell is not lacking in any of those categories. Even if it proves true that he can't function at a high enough level in the NFL as a left tackle, they could merely kick him inside to guard. Either way, the Bears get another quality blocker up front.
