What is the Chicago Bears top draft need this April?
Well, it's debatable, but most likely edge rusher, or cornerback. You could also maybe make a case for running back depth too. And in the later rounds, they could look at a backup quarterback.
One position the Bears will most likely not be prioritizing is defensive tackle, now that they acquired Jeffrey Simmons from the Tennessee Titans.
The Monsters of the Midway beefed up the interior of their defensive front by sending their 2027 and 2028 first-rounders to Nashville. They also threw in their fourth-round pick this year, and got Tennessee's fifth-rounder for 2028 in return. So the Bears will now be on the clock in rounds two, three and five, but obviously not in rounds one and four.
If they
want to prioritize offensive guard with one of these picks, here are three prospects to consider.
Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame
The most popular college football team in the Chicagoland area has a consistent, substantial pipeline to the Monsters of the Midway, with Cole Kmet being the most recent, notable example. Knapp has the perfect player comp in Atlanta Falcons IOL Chris Lindstrom. Both are elite, athletic guards who excel in zone-blocking, despite being a bit light for the position.
Carolina Panthers interior defensive lineman Derrick Brown is one of the best in the business. He recently described Lindstrom as his most formidable opponent.
"I would say I like going against (Atlanta Falcons) offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom," said in an exclusive with Ratings.org. "He’s super quick off the ball, and luckily enough for me, I get to play him twice a year. He’s definitely one of those guys who makes their engine go over there."
Knapp projects as a late second to early third rounder.
Austin Siereveld, Ohio State
It is worth noting that Lindstrom was the 14th overall pick in 2019, and that in the 2010s, blue-chip prospect OGs typically went higher than they do in the 2020s. Minnesota's Greg Johnson and Iowa's Kade Pieper are considered the top two in this class, but both should be long gone by the time the Bears are on the board.
We stay in the Big Ten/Upper Midwest to look at the next best fit for Chicago- OSU's Siereveld, who matches Knapp with a late round 2, early round 3 projection.
Siereveld is a dominant run-blocker with a lot of toughness and versatility. He can be a multi-positional backup in the NFL, but his true future lies at one of the guard positions, where he has true starter potential.
However, he could still use some improvement in foot speed and lateral mobility.
Cayden Green, Missouri
The Mizzou star can play both positions on the left side, and that versatility is driving up his draft stock up even further. If the Bears want to add depth at the left tackle position, perhaps out of potential concern stemming from Braxton Jones being on IR, then maybe Green is the pick here.
However, they might have to trade up in order to get him.
The 6-5, 324 pound Oklahoma transfer has ideal size for the next level, and his elite ability in pass pro has been well documented and noticed by NFL scouts.
He does need to work on his run-blocking consistency however, especially so in zone schemes.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 3 offensive guard prospects who could fit in with the Chicago Bears
