About Looking for Offensive Tackles Over Guards in Early Rounds

According to Vaughn McClure at the Chicago Tribune Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice worked out Arkansas offensive tackle DeMarcus Love.  Love is expected to go anywhere from rounds three to five.  The article also had this nugget in it:

“[Bears general manager JerryAngelo mentioned [earlier this week] how teams typically have to invest a higher pick in a tackle while finding help at guard or center in later rounds.”

I’m not a big fan of this attitude.  I understand the tendency to take tackles earlier in part because they can become interior linemen if they don’t workout.  But if the help that Steve Hutchinson brought to the Vikings offensive line taught us anything its that general managers need to stop under appreciating the position.  Though many still subscribe to it, that old saw about finding good guards later in the draft is out dated.

If a good tackle that Angelo really likes falls to them, then they should take him, of course.  But at the end of the first round I think you are more likely to see an undervalued guard like Danny Watkins out of Baylor and generally speaking I’d rather have that than an overrated tackle.

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