Getty Matt Waletzko of North Dakota runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 04, 2022 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears are showing interest in one of the most intriguing — and hulking — offensive line prospects entering the upcoming NFL draft.
According to Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante, the Bears have had multiple meetings with North Dakota O-lineman Matt Waletzko. The 6-foot-7 (PFF has him listed as 6’8″), 305-pound left tackle is one of the more appealing developmental prospects that is likely to be drafted on Day 3.
Waletzko’s massive wingspan (7’1 5/8″) and his 40-yard dash time of 5.03 seconds drew the attention of several teams at the scouting combine in March, and considering the Bears’ need for offensive linemen, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them look at Waletzko in Round 6, where they have the No. 184 overall selection.
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Waletzko: Background & College Stats
Waletzko played his college ball at North Dakota from 2018-21, playing and 30 games over his four seasons with the Fighting Hawks. He doesn’t have much diversity playing on the line; He played 620 snaps at left tackle in 2021 and 447 in 2020, per PFF. While it’s valid to point out that he didn’t face many dominant defensive lineman in the FCS, he still did well against most everyone he faced.
Last year, he allowed six hurries and two QB hits in eight games, while allowing one QB hit and three hurries in seven games in 2020. PFF gave him a run block grade of 79.4 and a pass block grade of 80.1 last season, both very respectable numbers.
He has not given up a sack in the last three years, and his athleticism, especially for his size, is incredible:
Matt Waletzko is a OT prospect in the 2022 draft class. He scored an unofficial 9.9 RAS at the Combine out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 12 out of 1146 OT from 1987 to 2022. t.co/btcwLA0X1n #RAS via @Mathbomb
That said, there are some significant issues with his game.
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Waletzko Will Be a Developmental Prospect
While he has a massive frame and wingspan, Waletzko’s weight is as issue. He is lighter than you’d like for someone who is 6’7″ and it could be a problem when he goes up against NFL-level talent — particularly considering he’s coming from a small school and hasn’t gone up against any top defenders.
Here’s what NFL.com draft expert Lance Zierlein had to say about Waletzko and his game:
Skyscraping FCS tackle with tremendous length but there are too many holes in the physical profile to project NFL success at this stage. Waletzko’s length and upper-body power are traits that teams will want to cultivate, but his pad-level issues and average foot quickness are limitations that could be difficult to work around. The run blocking should improve with more experience and coaching but his habit of leaning in pass protection reflects core strength concerns. If his pass posture isn’t fixed as a right tackle prospect, power rushers will eat him up.
Infante, who is also a draft analyst for The Draft Wire, still thinks Waletzko would be an excellent player for the Bears to target in the later rounds, pointing out some time in the weight room could alleviate a huge concern about the young OL’s game:
With the draft approaching on April 28, Infante also noted he has a feeling the Bears may be looking at some pretty intriguing names, including Waletzko’s, so stay tuned.
My gut tells me the #Bears end up with at least one of these players in the draft:
• Christian Watson
• Cole Strange
• Brian Asamoah
• Alec Pierce
• Bryan Cook
• Matt Waletzko
All good scheme fits who fill positions of need.