Former Bears guard Kyle Long announced his retirement from the NFL this offseason and has been using his time in Miami during Super Bowl week to make a strong case for a gig as a football analyst. He's already offering his opinion on what Chicago should do in this April's 2020 NFL Draft, and it's hard to argue with his assessment.
“I think if you draft early and invest in early picks on the offensive and defensive line, you’ll never go wrong,” Long told WGN's Adam Hoge. “Everybody else does well when the offensive line does well. And you look around the playoffs and you look at Super Bowl Sunday and what do these two groups have in common? Great o-lines.”
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The offensive line will be an early draft target for GM Ryan Pace and there's a good chance he'll use the team's first pick (No. 43 overall) on an interior lineman to replace Long in the starting lineup. In fact, the Bears could double-up on offensive linemen by selecting an interior player and an offensive tackle with each of their two second-rounders.
Chicago's draft plan will crystallize once free agency concludes. It's highly unlikely Pace will use his early draft assets on a position group he also spends big money on in the open market.
A few offensive linemen likely to be on the board when the Bears pick in the second round include Matt Hennessy (iOL, Temple), Lloyd Cushenberry III (iOL, LSU), Cesar Ruiz (iOL, Michigan), Austin Jackson (OT, USC) and Prince Tega-Wanogho (OT, Auburn).
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