Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles got some headlines this past week with his stops on the scouting trail. He popped up at the Alabama and Arizona State pro days. Most immediately drew the conclusion that Poles was getting a close look at two of the top offensive tackles in the class, Kadyn Proctor and Max Iheanachor. It isn’t a secret that the Bears have a vacancy at left tackle after Ozzy Trapilo injured his knee in the playoffs last season. He’s expected to miss most, if not all, of 2026.
That puts the team in a tough spot. While they would love to wait for the former 2nd round pick, there is no telling what player they’ll be getting back when he returns. Patellar tendon injuries are notoriously brutal. If Poles and head coach Ben Johnson aren’t sure about Trapilo’s prospects, then taking a tackle in the 1st round makes sense. The obvious question is who do they choose when the Bears go on the clock next month? If you listen to NFL scouts around the league, they’ll tell you one thing.
Not Proctor.
Kadyn Proctor has plenty of skeptics.
Bob McGinn of Go Long does an outstanding series every year covering every position group ahead of the draft, collecting comments from NFL scouts and getting their thoughts on the most exciting names. The offensive tackles column was released over the weekend. Proctor landed 4th on the list thanks to his mix of immense size and considerable athleticism. However, the responses were far from universally glowing. More than a few scouts had some brutal critiques of the Alabama standout.
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Scout #1
“Light on his feet. He can bend. He can move people. He can anchor. Talent-wise, there’s no question who this kid is. But he has had weight issues over his career. The intelligence is not great. At the end of the day, O-linemen that are big, smart and tough are the guys that play. The guys that are super talented and maybe not that smart and have weight issues and the work ethic doesn’t match to the talent are the ones you worry about. He’s how you want to draw them up physically but it gives you a little pause with who he is.”
Scout #2
“Big, massive athlete,” said a third scout. “You cannot deny the physical ability but just a lot of hype, a lot of recognition early on. He’s going to go probably in the 20’s but it’s embarrassing. He should be in the top five, top six. He’s more athletic than my top two guys (Fano, Mauigoa) but the top two guys produce consistently. He didn’t. Will he play? Yes. Are you going to be satisfied with him? Probably not. Alabama never really was.”
Scout #3
“He’s overrated,” a fourth scout said. “Slow feet. Kind of an oozer. Slow twitch, not a good athlete for pass protection. He’s got to be a right tackle or a guard. But he’s a massive guy and sometimes that’s all you need, especially at guard.”
Yikes. It is pretty clear that Kadyn Proctor didn’t do enough to convince people with trained eyes that he is a franchise left tackle in waiting. For all that size, power, and mobility, he had stretches where he looked either overmatched or disinterested. That isn’t the type of player teams want to spend their 1st round pick on. At the same time, his talent is so unique that somebody will be willing to gamble that they can coach him up better than the staff at Alabama could.
History isn’t on his side either.
Since 2009, Alabama has seen five offensive tackles get drafted in the 1st round. Two of them, Andre Smith and JC Latham, became solid starters. The other three have proven to be massive disappointments: Alex Leatherwood, Jedrick Wills, and Evan Neal. That doesn’t include two other flops, D.J. Fluker and James Carpenter, who ended up moving inside to guard. The point is that Alabama tackles have not transitioned well to the NFL over the past several years, despite significant talent.
The reasons for this vary. Some suffered injury setbacks. Others landed in tough situations. Then there are those who just didn’t have the drive. That is the same concern being raised with Proctor. He has all the talent in the world. Yet when you watch him, you don’t always see someone giving 100%. It is easy to see why Poles is interested. He loves tackles with size and athleticism. Still, it’s hard to imagine somebody with that reputation sneaking past Ben Johnson and Dan Roushar.
