LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- Bears offensive tackle Germain Ifedi hasn't yet lived up to the billing that comes with being a first-round pick, as he was in 2016.
But that hasn't stopped Ifedi from working, because he still believes there's something more within him. So does Bears offensive line coach Juan Castillo.
"He’s busting his ass in Texas in 100-degree weather," Castillo said in May. "Works as hard as any guy I’ve been around. I don’t want to make predictions, but I would not be surprised if this kid made the Pro Bowl next year. Why not, right?"
Ifedi played at right guard in the Bears' first 10 games last season before moving to right tackle as the struggling offensive line was reconfigured. He asserted himself well at that position, which led the Bears to re-sign him on a one-year contract this offseason.
Ifedi arrived at OTAs this week in noticeably good shape, which is part of his goal to achieve "longevity" in the NFL. He turned 27 on Wednesday and is working toward solidifying the starting position at right tackle.
While the Bears have increased the competition at the other four positions on the offensive line, it seems right tackle is Ifedi's job to lose. Of course, he not only wants to hold down that starting job -- he also believes in what Castillo sees in him.
"I don't think he's wrong," Ifedi said of Castillo's Pro Bowl prediction. "He knows me pretty well. He knows how I work. He knows my football IQ, what I put into this game, what I've done in my five years in the NFL. People can say what they want -- and they will say what they want about me and what I've done in my career -- but at the end of the day, he's not wrong. because he sees what I put into this game every day.
"I'm not surprised by anything he's seen because he wholeheartedly believes it and I wholeheartedly believe it and that's what he said. There are a lot of factors that go into that. But as far as being a consistent player and one of the better O-linemen in the league, I think that's the expectation. That's the expectation. That's my expectation, that's coach (Matt) Nagy's, that's Ryan (Pace's) expectation, that's coach Castillo's expectation and I try to live up to that every day because they took a chance on me, they believed in me. And I'm going to give them everything I've got."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.