Mammoth OT Has Met With Chicago Bears “A Ton” Ahead Of Draft
One thing we’ve quickly learned about Ryan Poles as GM of the Chicago Bears is he has a tendency to dig deep to find offensive line help. That includes plucking them from smaller schools. If they fit the physical profile, the team is looking for, what program they come from doesn’t matter. That is why Braxton Jones (Southern Utah) and Ja’Tyre Carter (Southern) were both drafted. Jones looks like a potential find for the team. So it’s only natural Poles might be willing to dabble in the smaller programs again.
It appears a specific name has their attention with the draft less than three weeks away. That is B.J. Wilson. He is the left tackle for Quincy University, a Division II program. While he hasn’t gotten the high-profile attention of playing at a big school, he certainly turns heads in the scouting community. That is because he’s 6’7, 320 lbs, and boasts 37-inch arms. He’s also a great athlete for his size, boasting a 4.70 short shuttle time. That would have him ranked 5th-best at the 2023 scouting combine.
Wilson told Justin Melo of The Draft Network that several teams have met with him, but two have expressed the most interest by far.
“I had a conversation with a Los Angeles Rams scout a few days ago. We initially met at the East-West Shrine Bowl. I also met with the Raiders at Shrine. A Jaguars scout routinely visited me at Quincy. I spoke with the Cowboys as well. I’ve spoken to the Jets and Bears a ton.”
The Chicago Bears do indeed have a type.
They like bigger guys with long arms and good mobility. Wilson fits every category. He was a high school basketball player and started out as a tight end in college. Coaches moved him to left tackle, where he eventually thrived for one of the better offenses at that level. He’s a solid run blocker with plenty of room to grow in pass protections if he learns how to use his length to his advantage while cleaning up his footwork. The athleticism is there. His big challenge would be handling the massive jump in competition upon arriving in the NFL.
Wilson appears to be a Day 3 draft option in the eyes of most teams. The Chicago Bears have six picks in that range. It won’t be a surprise if they reserve one for the big tackle. It certainly doesn’t hurt he comes from a local school. Poles already has a reputation for targeting players that grew up in or around the city. He feels it offers an extra flavor of motivation to the mix. This will be a fun name to watch on April 30th.