Bears should draft OT

Although free agency doesn't even begin until the end of February, it's never too soon to offer some advice to Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith on who the Bears should take with the 18th overall pick in the draft on April 25.

It might not be the most glamorous idea, but the Bears would be wise to draft an offensive tackle.

For the second straight year, the draft is strong in bookend blockers, and the Bears are long overdue to start replenishing the offensive line, which they've ignored for years. Before they took Vanderbilt OT Chris Williams in the first round in 2008, the Bears hadn't drafted an offensive lineman in the first round, the second round or the third round since 2002, when they took Marc Colombo in Round One.

That's why, not only is their starting o-line mediocre, but their backups are weak.

Sure a wide receiver would be more exciting, but the track record for first-round wideouts in recent years has been disappointing, with a high flop rate and many others who took years to develop. It could be even worse this year, since the consensus top five wide receivers are all underclassmen, who could require a lot more seasoning before they're ready to contribute in the NFL. I'm not saying the Bears don't need a huge upgrade at wide receiver – they do. But they might want to consider a free agent who's already established, since they need help immediately.

But back to offensive tackle. At least five are considered first-round talents – Baylor's Jason Smith, Virginia's Eugene Monroe, Alabama's Andre Smith, Mississippi's Michael Oher and Arizona's Eben Britton – and at least two of them could still be on the board when the Bears' pick comes around.