LAKE FOREST, Ill. – With the No. 75 pick of the 2024 NFL draft, the Bears selected Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. The move continues a trend of GM Ryan Poles investing in the offense, even though there are needs on the defensive line.
At the very least, Amegadjie will sure up the Bears’ offensive line depth at the edges. With his tantalizing length and athletic profile he could end up pushing Braxton Jones for a starting job, maybe not this year, but sometime down the road.
Here’s what draft expert Dane Brugler had to say about Amegadjie’s make up in his “Beast” draft primer:
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“From a size and athletic standpoint, Amegadjie pops on film, because of his rare length, light feet and smooth body control to mirror pass rushers or create momentum as a run blocker. Though he does a great job repositioning his hands and feet, his inexperience is also apparent when it comes to timing and adjustment fundamentals.”
With Caleb Williams in the fold, everything is about making sure he’s set up to succeed not only this year, but for the duration of his career. Even though Amegadjie might not be a Week 1 starter, he can still help in that regard. Last season when Braxton Jones missed time with an injury, Larry Borom struggled as the next man up. Injuries on the offensive line are more of a “when” than an “if” in the NFL, so Amegadjie gives the team extra talent in the case the Bears need to go to the bench again.
When he first joined Yale, Amegadjie played left guard, and he switched to left tackle in 2022. He stayed on the outside last season. Amegadjie said he sees himself as a tackle, but is open to playing anywhere. The Bears also acknowledged his familiarity playing both inside and outside and hinted he could be a candidate to be cross-trained at multiple spots. They're also clearly impressed with his Ivy League background. Bears Co-Director of Player Personnel Trey Koziol called Amegadjie a "sharp kid," a couple of times when sharing information about him.
"I don't really worry about the mental side with him," Koziol said.
Amegadjie also joins a long list of Local Guys in the Bears locker room. He grew up in Lake Zurich and attended Hinsdale Central. We know the Bears value adding players who grew up rooting for the team, as they believe putting on the “C” helmet gives them a little extra juice.
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Amegadjie’s 2023 season was cut short due to a quad injury, but the team said they medically cleared him and don’t view it as an issue.
Grading a player before he’s taken a snap in the NFL is an inherently unfair thing to do. Given what we know, and how important protecting Williams will be, here's the immediate letter grade we’re handing out.
Grade: A-