Coach Warns Braxton Jones Isn’t Only One Who Should Fear Kiran Amegadjie
GM Ryan Poles felt the Chicago Bears needed another body at offensive tackle. He wanted to make sure they had good depth at the position while also giving Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright some competition. More the former than the latter for obvious reasons. Jones missed a lot of games last year with a neck injury. The left tackle must be reliable if the Bears are going to develop Caleb Williams properly. Once Kiran Amegadjie recovers from his quad injury suffered last year, he will challenge Jones in training camp.
However, it might not be wise to pigeonhole him to that one spot. Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune spoke to Yale coach Tony Reno about the rookie. From his vantage point, left tackle is only one of four different spots he can play. Amegdjie actually logged several snaps at both right and left guard. He has the size, length, and feet necessary to play either spot. So, while Jones may play the position Amegadjie was drafted for, Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis would be wise to be wary of him as well.
This Bears coaching staff doesn’t mind moving guys around.
“The big period of growth he had was when he got back here the summer before sophomore year until the summer before his junior year. That full year is when his physical growth and also just his growth as a man and as a football player really came. He played for us as a sophomore. We played him at guard because that was our ability to get the best five on the field and he had that versatility. He got his feet under him. He was dominant at times, and at times, he wasn’t as dominant as he should or could have been because he was so inexperienced…
…From a physical standpoint, he has great feet and he has really good hips. He can run through contact in the run game. He also has great feet and is someone who controls the edges in the pass game well. He’s not afraid to play inside and be an interior blocker, and he has the athleticism and experience to play on the edge. He played every position for us but center and he can do the same at the next level.”
Kiran Amegadjie faces two challenges ahead.
He must get his body in top condition for the rigorous practices under Matt Eberflus. That can be difficult coming off of a long injury recovery. The other is learning to play against the tough competition of the NFL. These guys are far better than what he dealt with at the Ivy League. There is no denying the rookie has talent. If he’d stayed healthy in 2023, many agree he would’ve been a top-50 pick. The Bears felt his potential was impossible to ignore. It was only a question of how long he’d take to develop.
Rest assured, he wouldn’t be the first tackle who started his NFL career at guard. Hall of Famer Dan Dierdorf started as a guard before moving to tackle. Bruce Matthews started as a guard, went to tackle, went back to guard, and then to center. He made the Pro Bowl at all of them. The Bears have no reason to fear giving Kiran Amegadjie a look at guard. If they don’t trust Jenkins or Davis can make it through a full season, it makes all the more sense to do so. If he shows signs of legitimate ability, playing him there would be the obvious choice.