Bears’ Amegadjie needs to be ready

Who are five under-the-radar players who could be big contributors for the Bears in 2024?

Here’s a look at No. 4 on the list, rookie offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie.

Looking back

The Bears selected Amegadjie out of Yale with the with a third-round draft pick (No. 75 overall) in the spring. The Bears wound up picking only five total players in the draft. Amegadjie was their first selection since taking Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round.

Amegadjie was a top tackle in the Ivy League. He grew up in the Chicago suburbs and played high school ball at Hinsdale Central. His selection by the Bears was a homecoming for the 22-year-old.

The Bears have two starting tackles returning in 2024: left tackle Braxton Jones and right tackle Darnell Wright. There was some speculation ahead of the draft that the Bears might consider taking a tackle with one of their two first-round picks. That ultimately didn’t happen.

Taking Amegadjie in the third round doesn’t necessarily threaten either of the starting jobs for Jones (a fifth-round pick in 2022) or Wright (the No. 10 overall pick in 2023). But it does add competition at the position.

Looking forward

Amegadjie is flying under the radar because he’s not expected to be a starter. But on the offensive line, injuries are bound to happen. Wright played 99% of offensive snaps in 2023. Jones played every offensive snap in 2022, but missed six games last season due to a neck injury.

It’s likely at some point the Bears will need a backup tackle to step into a starting role for a few games. That’s pretty much a fact of life in the trenches these days. For the Bears, that would likely be either Amegadjie or fourth-year veteran Larry Borom coming in to start.

The fact the Bears prioritized Amegadjie in the draft seems to indicate they feel he could be a high-quality backup who might potentially develop into a starter. He’s probably the most likely candidate to enter the game should an injury occur. Going from the Ivy League to the NFL is a big step up in competition, but the Bears clearly believe Amegadjie can handle it.

General manager Ryan Poles found a starting left tackle in Jones out of FCS Southern Utah. Might Poles catch lightning in a bottle again with Amegadjie? The rookie tackle will be among the team’s greatest curiosities in 2024.