The Chicago Bears kicked off the 2024 NFL Draft with two picks in the top 10 (Caleb Williams at No. 1 overall and Rome Odunze at No. 9 overall), but they had a long wait before making their third selection at No. 75 overall.
The Bears used the pick on Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie, a high-upside prospect whose best football is ahead of him.
"With a rare blend of athletic traits and eye-popping length, it might be a mistake to bet against the high number of boxes Amegadjie checks," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote of Amegadjie. "His hand usage is a work in progress, and he hasn't learned to consistently get into blocks with proper footwork and body control, but both issues are coachable and likely to be corrected. Provided he improves his punch-timing and placement, his ability to keep rushers at the end of his length could become a big advantage. Amegadjie already possesses impressive explosiveness as a drive blocker and could become a quality NFL starter once his tutelage is complete."
BOOM!
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@OfficialJAYCHI) April 27, 2024
Bears get STEAL at #75 with OT Kiran Amegadjie out of Yale.
The Chicago kid is coming home!
🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/opCEXdr1vi
The Bears were considered a team in the first-round offensive tackle market, but plans changed when WR Rome Odunze slid to the ninth pick.
Amegadjie will begin his career in Chicago as a backup with swing-tackle potential. Whether he ever emerges as a threat to challenge Braxton Jones is up for debate. He'll have to prove he can handle the massive jump in competition from the Ivy League to the NFL; it's one of the steepest jumps in all of college football.
If anyone can make the jump, it's Kiran Amegadjie. He stands 6'5" and 323 pounds with 36 1/8-inch arms, moves like a guy much smaller, and has the requisite football IQ.
Bears fans hoping for a starting-quality player in the third round will be disappointed by this pick, but we might look back at it a year or two from now and be happy with the return on investment.