Getty Receiver Treylon Burks could fall to Round 2 in the upcoming draft.
The top two needs for the Chicago Bears this offseason are offensive line and wide receiver, and based on the latest rumblings courtesy of Pro Football Network draft expert Tony Pauline, this may turn out to be a fortuitous year for Chicago.
According to Pauline, one of the best offensive linemen in this draft, Iowa Hawkeyes center Tyler Linderbaum, along with one of the top wideouts, Treylon Burks of the Arkansas Razorbacks, could both go from being expected first-round selections to sliding into the second round — where the Bears have two picks at No. 39 and No. 48 overall.
“Tyler Linderbaum is a guy who a lot of people thought could go in the top 10,” Pauline told analyst Trey Wingo on the Pro Football News Network on March 29. “There’s a real possibility that Linderbaum falls out of the first round. Burks, who people were talking about as a top-15 pick, might eventually fall out of the first round.”
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Linderbaum Would Be Great Pick for Bears
“Linderbaum is slowly falling for a couple of reasons,” Pauline said. “No. 1: I’ve said time and time again, he’s not a power lineman. He’s not someone who just drives opponents off the ball. He’s more of a zone blocker.”
The winner of the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2021, Pro Football Focus says Linderbaum has “freaky athleticism for a center,” and they’re not wrong. The 6-foot-2, 296-pounder played defensive line as a redshirt freshman before converting to center, where he started 33 consecutive games.
As a true freshman in 2019, he played 864 snaps, allowing six hurries, two QB hits and one sack, per PFF. He played even better as a sophomore in 2020, playing 545 snaps in a season shortened by the pandemic. He didn’t give up a sack during his 2020 campaign, allowing just two QB hits and one hurry.
Last year, Linderbaum gave up one sack, two QB hits and four hurries in 908 total snaps.
The Bears just inked O-lineman Lucas Patrick to a two-year, $8 million deal, with the stated aim of making him the team’s new center. Linderbaum could sit behind Patrick for a year, even two if he needed the time to develop. Or, if the youngster is ready to play, Patrick is flexible on the line and could move over to guard.
Linderbaum has too many intangibles to pass up. If he does fall and is still there when the Bears pick at 39, he’d be a no-brainer pick. His size is a concern, but that’s something extra time in the weight room can fix. Also, he has that fire you want on the line — check out this clip of him pinning Tampa Bay Buccaneers behemoth OL Tristan Wirfs back when the two were high school wrestlers:
iOL1 Tyler Linderbaum pinning athletic mutant Tristan Wirfs a few years ago in Iowa high school wrestling
Burks Could Be Another Solid Addition
Pauline was a tad harsh in his assessment of Burks. “When you watch his game, he’s very rough around the edges,” he said. “Poor route runner, very undisciplined with his routes. Not very fast. Goes to the Combine and can’t break a 4.5, and doesn’t look sharp running routes. He’s a very unpolished receiver. And the fact is, we’ve seen it time and time again. These bigger-bodied receivers who went up for the contested throws every Saturday tend to fall in the draft.”
In 32 games at Arkansas, Burks caught 146 passes for 2,399 yards (16.4 yards per catch) and 18 touchdowns. He had a standout campaign in 2021, when he caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 TDs. He’s certainly raw and unpolished, but the talent and playmaking ability are clearly there.
The 6-foot-3, 225- pound wideout has had over 200 snaps from the slot in each of his three seasons at Arkansas, and he has been solid in the screen game, netting 219 screen yards in 2021, which was 13th in the nation, per PFF. A YAC machine, his 9.3 yards after the catch ranked sixth in the country last season, and despite spending so much time in the slot, Burks can also win outside.
Burks’ 4.55-second 40-yard dash at the scouting combine didn’t help his draft stock, but he plays up to the speed of the game, which many young wideouts do not.
It remains to be seen whether either or both of these talented young players fall into the second round, but if they do, it could be a huge gift for the Bears.
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Multiple Dream Prospects Could Fall to Bears in Round 2, Draft Expert Says