Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: A post-Andy Dalton dilemma

For a while now, one of my favorite later round offensive linemen prospects has been Josh Ball out of Marshall. Over the past few months, mocks have seen him go anywhere from the fifth all the way to the seventh. Here, the Bears find him in the sixth round and instantly provide competition at tackle, along with the fellow rookie Jaimes.

As the starting left tackle for Marshall in 2020, Ball was a key piece in the team’s Conference USA title. The big man stands a towering 6-foot-8, which stands out immediately when watching him play. His stature is one of a kind, and for a guy his size, Ball has high level quickness and agility.

Of course, with his size comes length. That in itself is a huge advantage, no matter what level of strength a player has. Speaking of strength, Ball is no slouch, but still has plenty of room to add some mass. That’s likely the biggest reason he will fall in the draft. Ball will need to bulk up a bit if he is to have a shot at starting in the NFL.

For his rookie season, it would make sense for Ball to become a reserve lineman. But, if the team were to move on from Leno in the coming seasons, Ball may have enough to overtake the starting gig by then. Again, he will just have to put on some more weight. That’s truly the biggest knock on his game.