LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- The Bears spent more than 24 hours celebrating the fireworks that saw them land quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze in Thursday's first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
They finally went back on the clock late Friday night in the third round with the No. 75 overall pick and selected Yale left tackle Kiran Amegadjie.
Amegadjie is a 6-foot-5, 323-pound tackle with a rare blend of size, length, and athleticism.
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The Hinsdale, Ill., native started his Yale career at right guard before moving to left tackle. He played just four games this past season due to a season-ending quad injury.
Amegadjie is a ball of clay that offensive line coach Chris Morgan will need to mold. He has all the measurables the Bears desire in a tackle, but he will need to get stronger and refine his technique before he sees live NFL snaps.
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While Amegadjie is unlikely to see meaningful reps this season, he could eventually challenge left tackle Braxton Jones for the starting spot in 2025.
Jones showed improvement during his second season, but the Bears are wise to bring in developmental competition at left tackle.
Amegadjie has the look of an NFL tackle, but he will need a lot of refinement to become the left tackle of the future. At the very least, Amegadjie should develop into an athletic swing tackle who can provide meaningful depth as the Bears look to build around Williams.
Jones remains the big winner of the 2024 draft, as the Bears elected not to draft an immediate replacement for him in the first round. Amegadjie should provide valuable competition once he refines his technique, but Jones will remain the Bears' starting left tackle until Amegadjie can prove he's ready to challenge for that role.
But that might take some time.