Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Latest seven-round look

Garett Bolles, OT, Utah (6-foot-5, 297 pounds)

In order for the new quarterback to succeed he needs good protection. It’s very difficult to throw passes from your back. While the Chicago Bears have a solid interior line with Cody Whitehair, Josh Sitton, and Kyle Long, the outside is a little shaky.

The Bears currently have Bobbie Massie and Charles Leno as their starters. Massie struggled mightily early on in 2016, but he settled down and played well down the stretch. Well enough that it appears as the team will stick with him in 2017.

On the left side, Leno is a question. He’s shown that he’s nothing more than an average player. The Bears need better than that to get back to respectability.

The team signed Tom Compton, but I don’t see him as starter material. He gives the Bears a good rotation player.

If you see how the Bears line is set up, it’s pretty athletic. In fact, Pace has done a pretty good job making the team more athletic. To that point, drafting Bolles is a good move.

Bolles is an ultra-athletic tackle with great feet. Some wide receivers would be envious of his foot movement. He doesn’t lumber around the field, and makes any angle block you need him to make. His lateral movements are great, and he’s quick off the snap. He gets good leverage by keeping his butt down low. Those quick feet of his also allow him to change direction with ease to keep up with pass rushers.

Bolles also plays with a mean streak. He loves to hit. The Bears are in need of more players like that. They’ve been bullied on more than one occasion during the past several seasons. They need to be more physical, and Bolles gives that to them.