The Chicago Bears are in the process of planning for the 2026 draft with their season over. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have plenty of work to do between now and then. They must determine which in-house free agents to keep, which ones to let go, possible free agents they wish to target, and send out feelers for possible trades. All of this will happen as they continue evaluating the incoming draft class. One position that has drawn the most speculation is left tackle.
Ozzy Trapilo tore his patella in the playoffs and may not return until midseason. Theo Benedet and Braxton Jones are free agents. Poles has no definitive starter for opening day on the roster. That is why many believe a left tackle is in play for the team’s 25th overall pick in the 1st round. The obvious question becomes, who will it be? After some digging, there might be a lead on that. Here’s an interesting fact for you.
The Bears have drafted eight offensive linemen during Poles’ tenure as general manager. Five of those players attended the Senior Bowl. When it comes to drafting blockers, they seem to lean heavily on experience.
- Braxton Jones
- Ja’Tyre Carter
- Darnell Wright
- Kiran Amegadjie
- Ozzy Trapilo
Ryan Poles has a tell.
In other words, if you want to pinpoint the blocker Chicago has a high chance of selecting in the 1st round, he is probably down in Mobile, Alabama, right now. From there, you want to identify the names that have enough buzz around them to warrant the possibility of going in the 1st round. The name that pops up immediately is Max Iheanachor from Arizona State. He’s a giant at 6’6 “, 330 lbs, but a great athlete. Most believe he’s still raw in certain areas, but his upside is ridiculous. Another who came out strong is J.C. Davis from Illinois, showcasing his quick feet and ability to anchor.
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If those guys put together a strong week, there is a strong probability Ryan Poles will have them high on his board come draft time. Don’t forget the Bears GM took Wright higher than experts projected in 2023 because of how good he looked at the Senior Bowl. That is how much stock he puts in the event. Poles is big on taking players with experience. It worked with Wright and was working with Trapilo before he got hurt. There is no reason to think he will divert from this method now.
