Chicago Bears: Two Offensive Line Prospects From Senior Bowl To Target

The prospect season has begun and the Chicago Bears need some work to do. Here are possible offensive lineman wide receiver targets from the Senior Bowl.

The draft season has begun. Prospects from college football with dreams of making it to the NFL get their chance to show scouts what they can do. The Chicago Bears still have some hiring to do with their front office and coaching positions but they cannot fall behind scouting those prospects.

The Bears’ priority likely is the offensive line. The main idea for them is to protect their Hope Diamond, quarterback Justin Fields. He is the face of the franchise now and the team has to do whatever it can to put him in a winning situation.

In order for that to happen, the Bears’ offensive line needs to protect him. This is something the unit didn’t do in 2021. The Bears gave up the most sacks in the league and there were too many times that Fields had to run for his life.

When Poles played, he was an offensive lineman. He knows what a team needs from the linemen. Also, he understands what type of lineman the team needs to succeed. His priority is building up the offensive line.

Ryan Poles mentioned that the key to success for an offense is the offensive line. It will be a focal point for the team. #Bears

— Bear Report (@BearReport) January 31, 2022

Possible targets from the Senior Bowl

Last week the bowl season began. We had the East/West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl. We’ll focus on the Senior Bowl.

There were two prospects at offensive line in the game. These prospects can help the new offense. Here are the prospects.

Jamaree Salyer. Tackle/Guard, Georgia

One of the biggest things the Bears offensive line needs is players with the ability to move around the line. Jamaree Salyer is someone who can play multiple positions on both sides. He played primarily left tackle for the National Champions Georgia Bulldogs, but he also spent time at left and right guard as well as right tackle. He even saw some time at the center position.

The important thing for Salyer is not just playing the positions but playing them well and with no adjustment period. He easily moves over to whatever position the team needs him at and performs well. He has a high football IQ and doesn’t get fooled by stunts or blitzes.

Salyer also has a mean streak in him. This is something Poles mentioned when talking about the Chicago Bears offensive line. In the film he saw, he mentioned that he wanted more meanness from his linemen. Salyer fits that bill.

Salyer was named to the All-SEC Second Team in 2021 and was one of the captains for the Bulldogs. He appears to be a good leader, something the Bears need along the line. Being good at so many positions he might not be a starter but could be a big asset for the offensive line.

Daniel Faalele, Tackle, Minnesota

Daniel Faalele is a tackle who will bring in big changes — big as in 6-foot-9, 380 pounds. He was All Big-Ten First Team in 2021. He played in 34 games for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, starting 31 of them. In the game, pass rushers had a hard time getting past Faalele. The National Team had 213 passing yards and 3 touchdowns. Additionally, they had 114 rushing yards.

The thing to remember with Faalele is that he only has five years of experience playing football. He comes from Australia where he played rugby. What has him on the radar is his enormous body. He’s still raw and he’s eating pass rushers up. Imagine what he’ll do when he gets the experience he needs to succeed.

At the moment, he’s using his big body to keep defenders at bay. When he locks his arms on the pass rusher it’s over. The defender cannot put his arms on Faalele’s chest.  Additionally, he provides a great anchor in pass protection. He is an immovable object.

It’s incredible to see a player of Faalele’s size to also have the athleticism he possesses. He’s an incredibly intriguing prospect.

Faalele has some fun in him as well. In the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, he lined up at fullback and scored a touchdown. It’ll be great to see if he gets to do that in Chicago if he plays there.