Larry Borom arrived in Chicago with less than zero fanfare. A lot of Bears fans had never even heard of him. After watching Teven Jenkins get selected in the 2nd round, nobody expected the team to draft another offensive tackle. GM Ryan Pace though had a high grade on the Missouri product. So with agreement from head coach Matt Nagy, the team doubled down on that position.
A couple of months later, the coaching staff began to realize that the team may have found something. After dropping a ton of weight prior to the draft, Borom seemed much quicker than where he was in college. Then as training camp unfolded, the rookie was holding his own against the best pass rushers on the Bears defense including multiple solid reps against Khalil Mack. That was the first indication the kid could play.
It is why they decided to shift him to left tackle.
An unfortunate ankle injury in the opener against the Rams derailed his progress. Borom was forced to miss the next several weeks. By the time he returned, things had changed. The Bears were hurting at right tackle due to injuries and COVID-19. So they asked the rookie to move back to his original spot. He has started four games since then. Nagy was asked about his impressions to this point. The head coach sounded more than a little encouraged.
Do the numbers back this up? Borom has played a total of 177 pass block snaps so far this year. He has allowed nine total pressures and one sack in that span. There have been moments where he’s been beaten but nobody can say his mistakes have been egregious. More like a kid getting schooled by veterans. His biggest issue, as Nagy pointed out, is his run blocking. He just hasn’t gotten much push thus far.
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Larry Borom should only get better with time
One might describe the rookie as a puppy with big paws. What he is right now is nothing compared to what he could be in the next year or two. Borom has everything required to be a solid starting NFL tackle. Size, strength, awareness, and nimble feet. As he gains confidence in his fundamentals and loses his awe of the NFL level, the improvements should become more and more obvious.
It’s crazy to think he might not even be the most talented tackle in his own draft class. Jenkins returned to practice for the Bears two weeks ago. All signs indicate he continues to progress well from back surgery and should be activated soon. He is already a dominant run blocker and more than athletic enough in pass protection. If he lives up to his potential, then he and Larry Borom could form an exciting tandem for years to come.
Will Nagy be part of it?
That doesn’t seem likely. The head coach has six games left in the season. At 4-7, the odds of him finding a way to avoid a losing record seem remote. Combined with an offense that can’t seem to score? The arguments to keep him have all but dried up. Still, he may end up leaving the organization with a parting gift if Borom, Jenkins, and Justin Fields all end up being good players.
