Targeting a Left Tackle Early in 2026 NFL Draft Would be a Big Mistake for Bears

Armed with the No. 25 pick in a weak draft class, Bears' general manager Ryan Poles has to land an impact player.

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Lost amid the euphoric celebrations on the night that the Chicago Bears pulled off a miraculous Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers was a piece of devastating injury news. Rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo, who came alive as Chicago's franchise left tackle in the second half of the season, left the game late in the fourth quarter with a leg injury, and it turned out to be even worse than we thought: a ruptured patellar tendon. Beyond missing the rest of the postseason, Trapilo is expected to miss most of the 2026 season, too.

This put general manager Ryan Poles in a bind. After years of incompetent offensive line play, that position group looked to be settled for at least the next two years. But Trapilo's injury, along with Drew Dalman's shocking retirement in March, has forced Poles to consider spending premium draft capital on the offensive line. Here's why that would be a big mistake.

Free agency filled the immediate need at left tackle

The Bears made two additions at left tackle during free agency, and I liked both of them. First, they signed former first-round pick Jedrick Wills to a one-year deal. Wills was a highly regarded prospect coming out of college but suffered a brutal knee injury in 2023 that forced him to miss half the season. In 2024, he aggravated the injury and only played in a handful of games. Wills made the tough decision to then sit out the entire 2025 season in an effort to get fully healthy and get back to top form.

Later, the Bears re-signed Braxton Jones to a one-year contract worth up to $10 million. Jones likewise suffered a major leg injury at the end of the 2024 season, and he never seemed fully healed in 2025. But both Wills and Jones should be healthy by now and ready for a full training camp. Both played at a reasonably high level before their injuries, and I do not doubt that, between the two of them, the left tackle position will be held down until Trapilo can return.

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This is a rough draft class for left tackles

When you look at the mock drafts that have the Chicago Bears selecting an offensive tackle in Round 1, it's usually either Alabama's Kadyn Proctor, Clemson's Blake Miller, or Arizona State's Max Iheanachor. Of these three, only Proctor has been a longtime left tackle in college, and he's considered a major boom-or-bust prospect. All three have had good college careers, but their NFL projections are murky, especially for Iheanachor and Miller having to switch sides.

Sure, there are some decent Day 2 prospects at left tackle, but none who would be proven upgrades over what the Bears already have. Selecting any of these late first-round or Day 2 offensive tackles would just be adding a third wheel to the left tackle competition, and that doesn't seem like a judicious use of draft capital. I would not, however, be opposed to spending a Day 3 pick on a left tackle prospect that Poles thinks can be developed over time into a solid starter.

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The Bottom Line

If the Bears had a pick near the top of the draft, I could understand taking a swing on an offensive tackle. There's two or three who are pretty safe bets to become good starters in the NFL. But the Bears are picking at No. 25, and moving up in the order would cost them too much draft capital.

At the end of the day, I don't think there's a short or long-term answer at left tackle for the Bears in this draft. Poles deserves credit for his work in free agency to plug that hole in the offensive line, and it should be enough to pilot the Bears through the 2026 season without left tackle becoming a major weakness on the line. By then, either Trapilo will have fully recovered from his injury, or the Bears can look to a 2027 draft class that is expected to be much better than 2026.

That said, I know that Ryan Poles is a strict adherent to the draft strategy of selecting the best player available regardless of position, and if an offensive tackle who is high on his big board is available at No. 25, he will likely pick him. However, I would advise Poles to show some flexibility in his draft strategy this one time and focus on another roster weakness, or simply trade back to accumulate more picks.

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