The Chicago Bears have done lots of homework on several prospects leading up to the 2023 draft. Some are well-known names like Jalen Carter, Paris Johnson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, GM Ryan Poles is a detail-oriented man. He also spends lots of his time digging deeper into the class, searching for possible hidden gems he can find later in the draft and maybe even undrafted free agency. Where’s another Braxton Jones or Jack Sanborn? Finding them will accelerate the Bears’ rebuild.
It appears Poles remains focused on the offensive line. That is hardly a surprise. It remains a weakness for the team and is one of his areas of expertise. Finding good players is difficult at those positions, especially late in a draft. There’s a reason many teams invest higher draft picks almost constantly. Even so, there are plenty of instances of good blockers coming from humble beginnings. It comes down to finding somebody with the right physical profile and temperament. According to Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network, the Bears have somebody in mind. His name is Ilm Manning, left tackle for Hawaii.
“Manning showed a lot of athleticism during pro day last month, timing as fast as 4.97 seconds in the 40 (with a quick 10-yard split of 1.76 seconds), touching 30.5″ in the vertical jump, and completing 25 reps on the bench press.
There’s a chance he could slide into the late part of the draft, but if not selected, look for the Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Bears to make a run at him. Manning had official 30 visits with both teams and a private workout with Dallas.”
The Chicago Bears have good reasons to like Manning.
For one, he’s a good athlete. The testing numbers prove that. He has the quickness and agility to function in space. Something that is crucial in a wide-zone system like the Bears’. Secondly, he doesn’t lack for nastiness. There are several instances of him giving defenders a little extra after driving them to the turf. It’s not hard to see why Poles and his scouts like him. However, the tricky part is determining his position. While a left tackle in college, his modest size at 6’2 and 295 lbs means he doesn’t have a future in the pros at that position. He’s likely moving inside, with many seeing center as the ideal spot.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Chicago Bears have executed a move like that. Cody Whitehair was a left tackle at Kansas State. He’d never played center in his life before reaching the NFL. He started there as an emergency option in 2016 and ended up in the Pro Bowl two years later. It’s been done before. If Manning does end up in Chicago, he has the physical profile to make the transition. He will have to embrace the work necessary to learn the position and the responsibilities it demands. If he does, his natural talent can do the rest.
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