Chicago Bears 2017 Draft Pick Grade - Jordan Morgan

At the top of the 5th-round the Bears again reached out for a small school prospect in Kutztown's Jordan Morgan. He played left tackle but his projection in the pro game is at guard. Let's take a quick look at his game and see how he might help the Bears moving forward.

Positives

The good news is that there a lot of positives in Morgan's game. He's got good size (6'4"/309) and he generates a lot of power. He's a dominant run blocker on film; often taking his target almost all the way out of the frame. He is aggressive and likes to finish blocks, taking his man to the ground when he gets the chance. He's fairly quick out of his stance, packs a very good initial punch and wins very quickly; which will be of the utmost importance as he moves to the interior OL where the action occurs almost instantly on any given play.

Once Jordan gets moving he actually has some long speed. I watched him almost make it to safety on a long reach block on a stretch run play. That kind of range for offensive linemen is rare. His feet in pass protection aren't bad but he does struggle a bit (lunging and reaching) with outside speed. He uses his punch very well in pass pro as well, often jolting the rusher opposite well off his intended path. The power in his shoulders is readily evident. Against the lower level of competition he faced at Kutztown he was consistent. Winning on almost every play and rarely giving up a negative play to a defender.

Negatives

Balance is one of the major areas Morgan will have to master. He tends to lean a bit more than he should or lunge when a defender can disengage off initial contact. His feet are good, so if he can learn to keep them under him he'll be fine. A move inside to guard will likely limit his difficulties with outside speed rushes he faced as a tackle on the edge. He is a little high-waisted with long legs and that can cause him to come off the ball a little high from time to time. Drilling in a good consistent bend, not ducking his head on contact and rolling his hips up through blocks will help him win against players in the pros as much as he did in college.

Grade / C+

This has less to do with Jordan as a player than it does about the position he plays and where he was chosen. It should be noted that both of things are outside of his control but they still contribute to the overall grade. As a player I can see Morgan becoming a very good guard who is able to contribute at the NFL level. His limitations are fairly small and can be countered with the move inside to guard and some additional coaching to refine his technique. Those things are fairly easily achieved. He'll have to adjust to the quicker reaction times at guard and the increased strength and speed of the players around him on both sides of the ball, but I think he can do it.

My hesitation comes from the less obvious need by the Bears for a backup guard and the huge opportunity cost of leaving some other very good players on the board. I like the player but the overall fit for need and value push his grade down almost a full letter.