Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Latest seven-round draft
Round 3, #67: Antonio Garcia, OT, Troy (6-foot-6, 302 pounds)
When you look at a draft, you try not to fall in love with a player. You may have a tendency of placing him higher than he would otherwise. I admit I like Garcia a lot. However, I made sure to look at other mocks to see he is where he should be.
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The more I look at Garcia’s film, the more I like him. I saw him at the Senior Bowl practices during the week leading up to the game, and he definitely showed he belonged with the big boys.
The Chicago Bears hit it big when they drafted Cody Whitehair in last year’s draft. They can hit again with Garcia. He is a big body, but he is athletic. He has great feet, and his strength is evident, especially when he hits a defensive player with that initial punch. His balance is excellent, and shows when he keeps defenders in front of him without having to lean in.
In 2016, he played in over 900 snaps, yet allowed ZERO sacks. Also, 42 of his 43 starts were at the blind side, showing the experience to succeed there.
Garcia played most of his college career at under 300 pounds (some of it under 280), so that was a concern. He played 2016 at 300 pounds, however, and did well, so that answers some questions.
Having Garcia on the line makes the Chicago Bears’ offensive line one of the most athletic lines in football. Adding him to Whitehair and Kyle Long gives the offense flexibility to run a variety of different plays, improving the sub-par results of recent seasons.