Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adeboware is as boom or bust a prospect as I’ve seen in the 2023 NFL Draft.

The good snaps (especially vs Ohio State) are SO good. The bad snaps are rough. Where should the #Bears (or anyone else) expect to draft him? Turn your on and I’ll explain: pic.twitter.com/T6LE9MEcbx

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) April 10, 2023

From Lance Zierlein at NFL.com:

Overview

Adebawore seems like a positional tweener, checking in a little short for the edge and a little light for the interior. However, he was able to handle himself at the point of attack at the Senior Bowl and is just a few hearty meals away from checking in at a weight that could pass for an even front three-technique. He’s a powerful man who wins with force over fluidity. He will need better play recognition in the future, but his explosive first contact and ability to play under his opponent’s pads could earn him a spot as a base end with sub-package rush ability or simply as a rotational interior defender.

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(1) For the life of me, I don’t understand the Anthony Richardson thing. Yes, he’s a superior athlete. But shouldn’t NFL teams at least require he LOOK the part of a professional quarterback in college? As I have been watching clips of various SEC defenders, I’m constantly seeing Richardson make the wrong read, throw the ball inaccurately, etc. Is he a draftable prospect? Of course. But it’ll be quite surprising if he’s relevant in the NFL in the next 2-3 years.

(2) The Bears should seriously consider taking Peter Skoronski if they stay at the ninth pick. Skoronski is not going to be a tackle in the NFL; he’s going to be a guard. And from what I’m told by folks who know way more than me, he can be a potentially top-level guard, a la Zack Martin. No one can convince me this current regime has any faith in the long-term viability of Teven Jenkins on this roster. Skoronski, pairing with Nate Davis, would give the Bears a pair of maulers on the inside, and the pick would give the Bears options with Jenkins.

(3) This is a complementary draft, not a star draft. Are Tyree Wilson and Will Anderson at the same level of a Myles Garrett? No. Are JSN or Jordan Addison a Justin Jefferson? No. I think all of the aforementioned players are going to be very good at the next level but so are Joey Porter Jr. and Adetomiwa Adebawore. (Looks at these two prospects coming tomorrow and Wednesday.) This is the year where you move back every chance you get because the guys being taken at 25 are not far off talent-wise from the guys being taken at 11. Ryan Poles knows this.

The Chicago Bears really don’t have a lot of options when the NFL Draft opens later this month.

The team entered the offseason with as many asset-acquiring resources as any team we’ve ever seen. They filled some holes, but still are among the worst teams in the entire league when it comes to the offensive and defensive lines. Specifically, their offensive line, which features a gaping hole at offensive tackle and several question marks.

With that, I used the Pro Football Focus Mock Draft Simulator to help get a somewhat unpredictable look at the draft and I used five of the first six picks on linemen.

11. Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

The Bears have put themselves in a position where they basically have to take an offensive tackle with their first pick. They can’t rely on getting a starter in the second round and going into the season with Larry Borom competing with Alex Leatherwood would be nothing short of malpractice. The good news is I was able to move back a couple of spots, exchanging the ninth, 64th and 103rd picks for the 11th, 41st and 72nd. All three of the consensus top offensive tackles were still available at 11 and I went with Jones because I like his fit with the Bears better.

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Defensive Tackle Market Will Be Interesting.

The market took am initial hit when the Washington Commanders placed the franchise tag on Daron Payne. But a bigger shock came when a warrant was issued for the arrest of Georgia star Jalen Carter. The number of impact guys is dwindling but there are still a lot of interesting names.

• Javon Hargrave is probably the best player available, but the Bears might not be interested in giving a large contract to a seven-year veteran who just turned 30 years old.
• Dre’mont Jones – 26 when the next season begins – has been playing in Denver’s 3-4 since coming into the league in 2019 but could thrive switching to a scheme that allows him to shoot the gap every play.
• Zach Allen, who will also be 26, has been a defensive end in his career, but could benefit from a move inside.
• Without question the most interesting potential option is Northwestern’s Adetomiwa Adebawore. While the Wildcats moved him around the line of scrimmage, Adebawore showed burst inside at the Senior Bowl and lit up the combine with a 4.49-second 40-yard dash (1.61 10-yard split) and a 37.5-inch vertical, while weighting 282 pounds with arms that are about 34 inches long.

Looking for an Edge.

While the Bears will have a ton of interesting options on the interior of their defensive line, the edge market might not be as strong as once thought.

For starters, the free agent market has very few adequate options. And while Will Anderson is the consensus best player in the draft, the Bears probably won’t be able to draft him if they trade back.

In Matt Eberflus’ time as a defensive coordinator and head coach, his teams have exclusively drafted ends who have weighed at least 250 pounds with at least 33-inch arms and a 35-inch vertical jump. The only defensive ends to jump 35 inches with the aforementioned size and length were Pittsburgh’s Habakkuk Baldonado, Missouri’s Isaiah McGuire, Louisville’s Yaya Diaby and Adebawore, who the Bears could see as a tackle.

The Pro Day circuit will be interesting to watch here. There were a number of players — like Iowa’s Lukas Van Ness — who showed very good all-around athleticism but didn’t jump well. The NFL changed the combine workouts around again this year, so it’s possible that the jumps were impacted by that.

Otherwise, the Bears might be scrambling to revamp their defensive line, especially on the outside.

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