Chicago Bears Draft Prospect Target: Jared Wilson |
Ariana Pensy
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- 16 hours ago
INDIANAPOLIS, I.N. - It is no mystery that Chicago’s offensive line needs a lot of work. The draft class this year is deep when it comes to the offensive line, meaning the NFL Combine gave the Bears a good opportunity to scout out players that may not have been on their radar before. One of those players is offensive lineman Jared Wilson.
Wilson measured at 6 foot 3, 310 pounds. This makes him slightly smaller than other prospects available in the draft. During his time in college, he specialized as a center, which fit his size. Nonetheless, at over 310 pounds, Wilson was able to put up the best 40-yard dash time out of any of the offensive linemen at 4.84 seconds. He reached a top speed of 21.04 miles per hour during his dash. His vertical was 32 inches, which is identical to first-round prospect Will Campbell. Wilson’s broad jump was also nearly identical to Campbell as he recorded a broad jump of nine feet, 4 inches which was one inch shy of Campbell. According to Next Gen Stats, Wilson has an athleticism score of 98, production score of 82 and total score of 83. However, he is still projected to be a fourth round selection. Per NFL Mock Draft Database, Wilson is currently the No. 106 overall prospect. This is most likely due to his lack of starting experience and designation as a center. During his time with the Georgia Bulldogs, Wilson played in a total of 34 games. This past season, he started 11 games and was named a second-team All-SEC selection. He also played in 13 games in the 2023 season although he was not a starter. When coming out of high school, he was one of the top offensive line prospects in the country. Chicago had a center competition last season and could add Wilson to the mix to create another center competition this year as the center position could use an upgrade. He could also be drafted with the intention of converting him to a guard. The Bears need depth at guard on both sides of the line. Versatility is beneficial for any player, which would make learning to play at guard beneficial for him as well. Regardless, Wilson would be a smart day-three selection for the Bears. Right now, Chicago does not have a fourth-rounder. But, they are sitting on a third round selection and a fifth round selection. This could change by the time the NFL Draft starts on Thurs. April 24 depending on what the Bears do in the offseason. Drafting Jared Wilson on day three of the draft would not completely fix their offensive line problems, but it would serve to give them depth with a player that seems to have a lot of potential. Taking this strategy would mean that Chicago would still need to draft an offensive lineman in either the first or second round. This is where a prospect like Campbell comes into play. His Combine performance was also strong with the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time among the offensive linemen with 4.98 seconds and also reached a speed of over 20 miles per hour. Numerous mock drafts have him as the first offensive lineman to get drafted this year. He excelled with the LSU Tigers both in pass protection and run blocking. Getting Campbell in the first round and Wilson on day three would make a world of difference for Chicago’s offensive line.
