The Chicago Bears delivered a minor surprise in the 3rd round of the 2024 NFL draft. Rather than opt for help at center or pass rusher, GM Ryan Poles selected Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie. The Hinsdale native was an athletic marvel with great movement skills despite his massive 6’5, 323 lbs frame. Together with his 36-inch arms, they saw somebody with limitless potential who could become a possible fixture at left tackle if Braxton Jones didn’t take another step forward this season. GM Ryan Poles sees somebody who can be a swing tackle this year and compete for a starting job in 2025.
While the Bears were drawn in by his athletic talent, it was his rapid improvement as a senior in 2023 that also got their attention. Though he didn’t finish the season due to a quad injury, the progress he showed in technique and fundamentals was impossible to miss. It turns out this wasn’t an accident. Amegadjie sought out the expertise of former NFL tackle Willie Anderson. He was one of the best tackles of the 2000s, claiming All-Pro honors four times. Bears play-by-play man Jeff Joniak spoke to co-director of player personnel Trey Koziol about the unlikely student-teacher relationship.
Kiran Amegadjie recognized why Anderson was a perfect mentor.
After all, the two share nearly identical body types. Anderson was 6’5, 324 lbs, and had 35-inch arms. He learned how to use all of that to his advantage to become one of the NFL’s premier pass protectors. Amegadjie is actually a better athlete than he was, too. If he can learn all the tools and tricks Anderson built over a long career, there is no telling how good the young man could become. The key difference between the two is background. Anderson came out of Auburn. He cut his teeth against the best of the SEC. Amegadjie comes from the Ivy League. It is a far steeper jump in competition.
The Bears don’t seem to mind the challenge ahead of them. It’s not like they’re new to bringing in athletic tackles who faced second-rate competition. Braxton Jones had the same problem, and he turned out solid. Kiran Amegadjie is even more talented than he is. If he’s open to the same education Jones got and has a similar work ethic, it won’t be long before he finds his way into the starting lineup. That is especially true if he keeps getting advice from Anderson.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Young Kiran talks a lot of smack — and he’s done a good job at burying Ivy League “frat boys.” But, now he gets to compete versus grown-ass men in the league; and that will provide Kiran with a taste of NFL reality. Amegadjie may possess impressive physical tools, he has yet to meet Myles Garrett, et al. “He (Amegadjie) didn’t play in 2020 because COVID wiped out the Ivy League season. He started 10 games at right guard in 2021 and 10 games at left tackle in 2022. That set the stage for what he hoped would be a… Read more »
Mentors can have a lasting effect on personal growth.
Passed down knowledge and advice are like freshly fallen snow – set on solid ground, the longer it lingers, it takes hold, and the deeper it sinks into the body, mind and soul.
Once a player gains knowledge and experience, then confidence builds and great things follow. But they’ve got to want it. They must be driven to be the best and to win.
He has a good mentor. Almost as important will be the Bears DEs during practices. They can teach him a lot. The real difficult part will be to move from Ivy League to NFL ready. It has been a long time ago, but it was said that the neighborhoods around Yale were tougher than the football team. I was there only once and it seemed true. No offence New Haven.