Chicago Bears NFL Draft 2021: 5 underrated first-round targets

Underrated first-round targets for the Chicago Bears: OT Liam Eichenberg, Notre Dame

The majority of mock drafts will leave Notre Dame offensive tackle Liam Eichenberg out of the first round. Most outlets have him graded as a strong Round 2 prospect, and the Bears would be lucky to land him with pick no. 52.

But, at pick no. 20 in the first round, Eichenberg would be considered a tad of a reach. One of his main knocks is that he is not as quick footed as some teams may prefer. However, with the Bears becoming more of a running team — or so Matt Nagy wants us to believe — Eichenberg would fit in well.

He is the strongest in the run game, where he uses his knowledge of the game to do all the work. He’s a smart player and knows where to position his hands and feet, even though he isn’t the fastest. Eichenberg does a better job latching on and staying in position without being vulnerable in terms of a penalty.

He’s a bully in the run game and would fit right in at left tackle, taking the place of Charles Leno who may slide over to the right side.

Eichenberg is one of the top five or eight tackles in the draft, and depending upon who you ask, he very well could be a first-round pick. Most want to talk about Teven Jenkins at number 20 overall, but Eichenberg would be just as strong of a pick in many eyes.