GM Ryan Poles hasn’t tried keeping it a secret. He is on the hunt for offensive line help. The Chicago Bears need it, and he is far from satisfied with how the unit finished last season. A makeover has already begun with the arrival of Lucas Patrick at center. More moves are expected in the coming weeks, and the NFL draft is part of it. That is why it becomes interesting news whenever a name pops up that they’ve met with.
The latest is not one most fans might know. Vederian Lowe spent the past four seasons playing left tackle for Illinois. He started 52 games and was hailed for his consistency. The 2021 season was definitely his best. His steady pass protection and strong blocking in the run game stood out regularly. While not a premier athlete, he moves well enough for his size and can overcome those issues with his ridiculous 35-inch arms. Most draft experts believe he’ll fit best in a zone-blocking scheme.
The exact sort Chicago intends to run under offensive coordinator Luke Getsy.
Might not make my piece, but, boy, is Vederian Lowe having a good year pic.twitter.com/z6Rr85mMrO
— Jeremy Werner (@JWerner247) September 24, 2019
Vederian Lowe has been ultra consistent at LT. He's going to have good film from this event. Illinois was the only BIG school hard for me to get film of this season, so I had only seen him on TV. pic.twitter.com/u0Jh8VXnwI
— Matt Alkire (@mattalkire) February 1, 2022
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Not easy beating thick-bodied, long-armed ILL LT Vederian Lowe off the edge. Rushers hit a brick wall that latches on & doesn't let go. Not an elite athlete, but has some short-area quickness in run game. Also often used on trap blocks inside, making for unhappy LBs. #SnapScout22 pic.twitter.com/0sZRLKATVf
— Chad Reuter (@chad_reuter) May 24, 2021
It isn’t hard to see the appeal of Vederian Lowe. He’s calm in his drops, shows solid technique with his hands, and doesn’t have dead feet. When he gets a defender squared up, it’s over. They aren’t getting past him. Some favorable comparisons in terms of physical profile included Ronnie Stanley of the Baltimore Ravens and Taylor Decker of the Detroit Lions. Both are really good players. That feels like his ceiling, given where things stand.
The Bears first met with Lowe at the scouting combine a few months ago and have kept tabs on him since. Expectations are he’ll go somewhere in the middle rounds. Like the 3rd to 5th range. He is an intriguing talent and is also lauded for his maturity and leadership. He’s already married with two kids. So there are minimal off-the-field risks. His physical mentality jives with Poles’ preferences too.
He may not be a starter as a rookie, but he could become one at either tackle spot or even guard with a year of development. It depends on where the Bears need help the most.
