Why The Bears' Latest Meeting, JC Latham, Is Biggest Wild Card At #9

Offensive tackle is 100% a possibility for the Chicago Bears at the 9th overall pick. GM Ryan Poles confirmed as much when he said he'd split his scouts into three teams after the combine. Each would take a position and argue why they should target it with that pick. One is wide receiver, another is pass rusher, and the last is offensive tackle. Everybody automatically assumed this meant either Joe Alt of Notre Dame or Olu Fashanu of Penn State. However, an interesting name popped up on their list of top 30 visits this week. That is JC Latham from Alabama.

It is strange how so many people seem to have forgotten about him, considering how many quality blockers the Crimson Tide have sent to the NFL over the years. In fact, there appear to be people inside the league who view Latham as the best tackle in this class. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com received such confirmation from an executive.

“[This class is] deep at tackle and he’s going to end up being the best of the group. They are all going to get better, but he and (Joe) Alt are the only ones I see operating at a pro level and Latham is better than Alt.” - NFC personnel executive

Latham is renowned for his unique mixture of 6'6, 340 lbs size and 35-inch arms. For somebody so heavy, he moved pretty well in his pass sets, demonstrating adequate footwork to go along with quick reaction speed and violent punches. He's also probably the most vicious run blocker in his position group.

JC Latham looks and feels like a quintessential Poles guy.

Remember, the Bears GM already pinpointed a similar blocker last year with a top-10 pick in Darnell Wright. He, too, had a gigantic frame, good athleticism and mixed it all with a mean streak. Poles wants his offensive line to be the aggressors. He wants opponents to fear them. Latham would be another step in that direction. The difficult part is measuring whether he meets the athletic requirements. Most experts see him as purely a right tackle or a guard. That means if they were to draft him, they'd have to move Wright over to the left side. Chicago can't do that unless they are sure Latham can survive on the edge.

Much of this might hinge on whether he can drop some weight. Wright ended up doing the same when he arrived in the NFL, going from the 340s down to 320. That helped lighten his feet. The Bears can do the same with JC Latham. He is unlikely to lose any of his natural power doing that. Nobody can deny this guy is a beast. When he gets his hands on somebody, it's over. They aren't going anywhere. Is he worth the 9th pick? Poles felt Wright was. His draft grade last year was 6.40, according to NFL.com. Latham's is 6.71.

Don't forget the name.