CHICAGO -- With the beginning of the NFL draft less than a week away, the Chicago Bears conducted a recent private workout with former Syracuse left tackle Justin Pugh, according to a league source.
A three-year starting left tackle for the Orange and former first-team All-Big East selection, Pugh is projected to be drafted in the late first round or early second.
Pugh told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel last week that he expected to meet with the Bears prior to the draft. The deadline for teams to host players on pre-draft visits was April 17, but clubs are permitted to conduct private workouts this week.
Some teams view the 6-foot-4, 307-pound Pugh as a potential interior offensive lineman on the NFL level, with one scout mentioning last week that Pugh could be a candidate to move to center because of his shorter arms.
Pugh missed the first four games of his junior season while recovering from an offseason shoulder injury but returned to start Syracuse's final nine contests. He fits the mold of the type of versatile player Bears general manager Phil Emery told the media last week the club covets.
The Bears improved their offensive line this offseason with the additions of left tackle Jermon Bushrod and right guard Matt Slauson, but there figures to be competition at right tackle, left guard and center when players report to training camp July 25.
The Bears brought in several centers for pre-draft visits, including Wisconsin's Travis Frederick and California's Brian Schwenke.
