The Chicago Bears draft class has gotten much attention over the past three months. For obvious reasons, most of it is centered around Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. They’re both top-10 picks and have superstar potential. Even so, punter Tory Taylor and pass rusher Austin Booker have also gotten their share of notoriety, given the importance they bring to this 2024 season. That has made it easy to overlook the other prominent pick the Bears made: 3rd round offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie.
The Yale alum was considered one of the most talented in the entire class despite missing most of last season with a quad injury. He’s big, long, nimble, and athletic. Many view him as an obvious threat to left tackle Braxton Jones. GM Ryan Poles even indicated as much. However, people would make a mistake by thinking that this is the only position Amegadjie can play. Brett Kollmann of The Bootleg Football podcast is a widely respected tape analyst on YouTube. He told Bill Zimmermann of Windy City Gridiron that Jones might not be the one who should be most nervous about the rookie.
People should not forget that. He played it multiple times in college, though his primary work came on the edge. He understands the responsibilities of that spot. As Kollmann says, he also has the size and power necessary to handle bigger defensive linemen. It doesn’t hurt that he’s known for a nasty streak. Nate Davis’ job security looks more tenuous by the day. He missed most of training camp last year and several games with a mix of injuries and off-the-field issues. Now he’s missed OTAs and minicamps with more undisclosed problems.
It feels like the Bears are reaching the limit of their patience with him. That is likely why they traded for Ryan Bates from Buffalo and drafted Kiran Amegadjie. Now, they have alternatives if he continues to not provide what they paid for. Playing guard in the NFL is much simpler for young offensive linemen. It is why teams often draft young tackles and play them inside for a year or two before kicking them to the edge. Perhaps the Bears could enact similar plans for Amegadjie. It would be quite a story.
