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PFF lists a surprising name as the Bears' most impactful rookie

Pro Football Focus gave love to a few members of the Bears rookie class, but they believe one (surprising) player stood out from his peers.
Jerry Markarian|
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) reacts with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears running back Kyle Monangai (25) reacts with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (75) after scoring a touchdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Ryan Poles gets a lot of flak, but there's no denying that he did a great job of fortifying the Bears' foundation through the 2025 NFL Draft. They've had a few valuable contributors, and it's challenging to pinpoint who had the biggest impact.

PFF has an interesting take on that conversation. They believe Ozzy Trapilo deserves recognition as the Bears' most impactful rookie.

Since he became a starter at left tackle in Week 12, the second-rounder allowed just 13 quarterback pressures. His 77.7 PFF pass-blocking grade over the span was better than all but that of Chiefs first-rounder Josh Simmons. That helped quarterback Caleb Williams work from a clean pocket 64.8% of the time during that stretch — the 13th-best rate in the NFL.
Ben Cooper, Pro Football Focus

My response to that is.. really?

Don't get me wrong, Trapilo has been great. Him locking down the left tackle position has been huge for the Bears' offense, both in terms of this season and looking towards the future. It sure seems like they can take the left tackle spot off their offseason wish list. They missed him against Detroit, and I think that was reflected in the gameplan, which saw them rarely throwing to the left side, a testament to how much of an upgrade the rook is over Theo Benedet in pass protection.

Has Trapilo been valuable? For sure. Has he been better than Colston Loveland, though? Definitely not. I honestly don't even see how you could make that argument.

Loveland looked every bit like the best tight end in the league over the second half of the season. He was a key member of the Bears' passing attack and became the first rookie to lead the team in receiving yards since Willie Gault did so in 1983. He was the first rookie tight end to achieve the honor since Mike Ditka in 1961!

Trapilo has been great, but it's impossible to quantify Loveland's impact over the second half of the season.

I'm not sure where their passing game would've been without him, but I'm confident they wouldn't have beaten the Bengals, whom he torched with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns, including the heart-stopping 58-yard game-winner. I'm sure they wouldn't have gone toe-to-toe in a shootout with the 49ers, when he put up six catches for 94 yards and a touchdown.

Could you argue that Loveland shouldn't receive the recognition since he made a minimal impact before his breakout performance against Cincinnati? I guess, but then who are you giving the honor to? Trapilo didn't start until Week 12. Kyle Monangai had 22 carries through the first six weeks. Luther Burden III had 13 catches over the first ten weeks. The Bears' depth awarded them the luxury of taking it slow with their rookie class, and they are all better off for it in the long run.

To me, I think the choice for their most impactful rookie was clear. However, the fact that you could make a case for a few players (including their seventh-round pick) is an indication of just how good they did in the draft.

It's also a testament to how great their coaching staff is, especially on the offensive side of the ball. The future looks bright in Chicago.

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Jerry Markarian
JERRY MARKARIAN

Jerry Markarian has been an avid Chicago Bears fan since 2010 and has been writing about the team since 2022. He has survived the 2010 NFC Championship Game, a career-ending injury to his favorite player (Johnny Knox), the Bears' 2013 season finale, a Double Doink, Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Weeks 8-17 of the 2024 NFL season. Nevertheless, he still Bears Down!

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