REPORT: New Bears OT Kiran Amegadjie labeled a “sleeper pick” by NFL scouts

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie was considered a fringe day-one draft pick before injury

The Chicago Bears 2024 Draft class continues to look better every day. With the draft in the rearview mirror, what teams were hoping to do is becoming more clear.

Earlier this week, Richard Hightower, the Bears special teams coordinator, confirmed that three other NFL teams wanted to draft punter Tory Taylor.

ESPN reveals the whole NFL may have had an eye on Kiran Amegadjie

A new article released by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler details information from around the league on the 2024 draft class. This includes the team’s intentions going into the draft. As well as what teams were thinking when they made certain selections.

Fowler explained that scouts around the NFL had a consensus top 45 grade on Kiran Amegadjie. In all likelihood, if Amegadjie didn’t injure his quad, he would have easily been drafted in the first two rounds.

The selection of Yale tackle Kiran Amegadjie at No. 75 overall in 2024 has high upside. Multiple scouts say Amegadjie could have been a top-45 pick if not for a quad injury that thwarted his participation in the Senior Bowl.

NFL Next Gen Stats has Amegadjie ranked as the tenth best offensive tackle prospect in the 2024 draft class. He also ranked ninth among all offensive tackles in production score.

With a grade of 6.25, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, Amegadjie is predicted to be an average starting tackle in the NFL.

Takeaway’s

This report from Jeremey Fowler makes a lot of sense. Amegadjie is a physical specimen standing at 6′ 5″ and clocking in at 323 LBS. A man with that size and his level of athleticism is not a every day find.

Amegadjie received a positive prospect analysis from NFL analyst Lance Zierlein. Zierlein points out that Kiran Amegadjie checks nearly every box a coach could want from an offensive tackle. His only weaknesses are things that can be taught at the NFL level.

Kiran Amegadjie should have certainly been drafted before the Bears third-round pick. His quad injury late in his final season at Yale gave some teams cold feet.

Amegadjie only played four games at Yale in 2023 due to his quad injury. It also prevented him from appearing in the senior bowl. Which means NFL GM’s and scouts couldn’t get a better look at him in person.

Other teams were not interested in taking a flyer on Amegadjie because of one injury (NFL.com has no other injuries listed in Amegadjie draft profile). Other teams caution might lead to a major win for the Bears. If Kiran Amegadjie can stay healthy he should be a homerun draft pick for Ryan Poles.

There is also the added bonus of Amegadjie being from Hinsdale, Illinois. The local kid will be looking to make an impact on his childhood NFL team.