Pro Football Focus Names Impressive Bears Rookie as Early Breakout Candidate for 2026

Pro Football Focus believes Bears left tackle Ozzy Trapilo is poised for a breakout in 2026 after posting top-30 production late last season.

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears may already have their next foundational offensive lineman in place, and Pro Football Focus believes he's poised to make a significant leap in 2026.

In a recent breakdown of early breakout candidates for the 2026 NFL season, PFF highlighted Ozzy Trapilo as a Bears player to watch, pointing to his strong late-season performance after being thrust into the starting left tackle role.

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"Trapilo’s respectable level of play once he was inserted into the starting lineup may have earned him the Bears’ left tackle job heading into 2026," Dalton Wasserman wrote. "From Week 12 through the wild-card round, Trapilo earned a 73.5 PFF overall grade — a top-30 figure among qualified offensive tackles. It should be noted that he had not played left tackle since 2022, so there should be further improvement in store."

That stretch of play matters. Left tackle is arguably the most important position on the offensive line, and Trapilo performed at a level comparable to established NFL starters.

According to PFF grading, a 73.5 overall mark places him firmly in the league's upper tier at the position over that span. Not too shabby for a second-round pick.

The fact that Trapilo transitioned to left tackle so smoothly is worth noting. He posted top-30 production despite having to adjust his footwork and the timing that comes along with switching from right tackle to the left side.

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Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown with Ozzy Trapilo. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images. | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Ozzy Trapilo Injury Creates Murky Outlook

Unfortunately, Ozzy Trapilo won't have a full offseason to work on his craft. He tore his patellar tendon in the Wild Card win over the Packers, and his availability for the start of the 2026 regular season is very much in doubt.

In fact, there's a chance that GM Ryan Poles will invest an early-round pick (perhaps even a first-round pick) on a left tackle if the early reports of Trapilo's rehab aren't good.

Whether Trapilo makes good on Pro Football Focus' prediction depends on that injury recovery, and if all goes well, he'll combine with Darnell Wright to give the Chicago Bears a fantastic set of bookend tackles.

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