Ben Johnson Finally Confirmed Theory About The Ozzy Trapilo Pick

The Chicago Bears had a rather different approach to the 2025 draft than many were expecting. Expectations had been they’d focus on upgrading the trenches and running back. However, they pulled a swerve by selecting a tight end (Colston Loveland) and a wide receiver (Luther Burden) with their first two picks. It wasn’t until their third selection that they finally looked to the offensive line. Yet even this was a surprise. Their choice was Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College. While no one disputed his ability, the pick was odd because he had been exclusively a right tackle throughout his career. The Bears, of course, already had a right tackle, Darnell Wright.

It didn’t make sense. Why take a right tackle when you already had one? You could’ve targeted other positions of more pressing need. The Bears ultimately allowed Trapilo to compete for the left tackle spot, but it didn’t work out. At last, head coach Ben Johnson revealed what many had theorized for months during his Tuesday press conference. While discussing what Trapilo’s role could be on Monday night in Washington if Wright misses another game due to his elbow injury, he admitted the primary motivation for the pick was simple, if hard to understand for fans.

Depth and competition.

Ozzy Trapilo was too talented to pass up.

Big tackles with his pass protection skills are difficult to come by. Draft experts felt that with some added weight and some refinement in his technique, he would develop into a quality NFL starter. In the meantime, he would make a perfect swing tackle who can step in when needed. Johnson and GM Ryan Poles know one fundamental truth about the NFL. It is a league of attrition. Injuries occur every year, and the offensive line is often the area where they are felt the most due to the sheer physicality involved. Having quality depth in that area isn’t just beneficial, it’s imperative.

Plenty of people will disagree. You don’t spend 2nd round picks on backups. You spend them on guys you think will be starters. While that is a perfectly logical mindset, the reality is 2nd round picks fail far more often than anybody wants to admit. Only 31% of them pan out to become anything in the league. You always want them to thrive, but few things are more important to an organization than great depth. If that is the role for Ozzy Trapilo, at least for now, the Bears deserve some credit for keeping that perspective.

After all, having him on the roster already proved beneficial when he stepped in against Las Vegas. His play was a key part of their eventual victory.