Chicago Bears: 7-round mock draft 3.0 (with trades!)

Pick made by Khari Thompson @kdthompson5

With all the uncertainty in the interior of the offensive line, why not double-dip? And in this case, you could find yourself a guy with the versatility to serviceably play almost any offensive line position you want.

Though scouts ultimately believe that Rankin is best served playing as close to the ball as possible, with his best position possibly being center, his physical makeup could allow up to do more. At 6-foot-5, 305 pounds with long arms, he could succeed at guard and maybe even play tackle in a pinch.

He does need to work on his functional strength a bit as he rarely overpowers guys. Working with NFL trainers and learning how to improve his technique can help with that, but it remains a concern. He also struggles at times against speed, which could turn him away from playing much tackle in the NFL.

With that said, Rankins’ intelligence will be one of his greatest assets to any team that selects him. I would expect him to pick up NFL offenses quickly and execute at a high level more quickly than most rookies.

He plays with great instincts, especially in pass protection, and is hard to fool with stunts and delayed rushes. His eyes don’t miss much, and he doesn’t panic when the heat is on.

And given his potential ability to play any of the five offensive line positions and swing around the inside especially, Rankins could be like gold for the Chicago Bears if they decided to take him.

And with the Bears needing to make some decisions on the offensive line soon, why not add another young, capable player to the mix?