The Bears Questionably Prioritize the Trenches in Latest Mock Draft

It appeared that Chicago finally got the offensive line figured out late last season, as their starting five from Week 12 onward seemed to have real staying power. The left tackle position was previously the only question mark before that point, but second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo played exceptionally well when he finally got into the lineup.

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for a wrench to be thrown into that conversation, as Trapilo ruptured his Achilles in the Wild Card Round against Green Bay. The hits kept coming early in the offseason, as center Drew Dalman's sudden retirement left them with a 300-pound hole on the interior of their line.

While their decision to trade a fifth-round pick for Garrett Bradbury should shore up the center position for the short term (I still think they will target a developmental option with an eye on the future there), the left tackle position is still very much in the air. Fox Sports analyst Nick Wright thinks they could look to address that spot in round one with the selection of University of Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor.

He's the tackle from Alabama that we saw, catching the passes and rumbling and running down like the most athletic 380-pounder I've ever seen in my life. I feel like the Bears all of a sudden have to address left tackle because of that, and so we have him going there.
Nick Wright, FoxSports.com

Proctor arguably has the highest ceiling of any lineman in this year's class. He's a mammoth of a man who moves like a much smaller human. His 5.21-second 40-yard dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine might not be impressive on its surface, but it becomes somewhat incredible considering he did it at 352 pounds. Linemen that big simply aren't supposed to move that fast.

He was an absolute road-grader on the ground during his time at Alabama. However, he struggled quite a bit in pass protection. Much like Trapilo did last year, he would definitely benefit from having a grizzled veteran next to him in Joe Thuney.

Regardless, I personally wouldn't be a fan of the move. I know Ben Johnson said the future of the left tackle position is still unclear, with Ozzy Trapilo's status being murky. However, I like the competition they created at left tackle through free agency.

They not only brought both Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet, who both started games at LT before Trapilo took over last season, back on cheap one-year deals, but they also signed former Browns first-round pick Jedrick Wills to a similar deal. I know none of them are going to ascend to the level that Proctor could, but Wills and Jones both have a higher floor than the one the big guy will bring to the pros.

I hope they let those three (and Kiran Amegadjie, if you're so inclined) battle it out for the left tackle job in training camp and prioritize the defensive side of the ball in the first round. I'm not ready to give up hope in Trapilo bouncing back from his injury, but you can effectively do that (with Chicago, anyway) if they draft a first-round offensive tackle.