If you follow the breadcrumbs with less than two weeks to go before the NFL draft, you’re starting to notice a pattern emerge. Insiders are narrowing the predictions on what the Chicago Bears will do with their 1st round pick. At first, several positions were involved, including edge rusher, defensive tackle, offensive tackle, safety, and cornerback. However, since the end of the pro day circuit, those projections have narrowed to two. The most prominent insiders say it will be either an edge rusher or an offensive tackle. If we presume that Bears head coach Ben Johnson has the final say in this situation, he may have tipped the team’s hand.

Up until recently, the Bears had only met with one projected 1st round tackle. That was Max Iheanachor of Arizona State. History says you usually know which position a team will target early based on how many prospects from it they meet with. Three or more is a dead giveaway. Well, the Bears just took a big step in the left tackle direction with news that they’re bringing in Caleb Lomu from Utah. He’s considered one of the top tackles in the class and stands a good chance of being available when the Bears go on the clock.

Ben Johnson has specific desires for his draft picks.

We saw it with Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, and Ozzy Trapilo last year. Two criteria must be met. The player must be technically polished for his position and a standout athlete. Loveland was a great route runner coming out of Michigan and one of the most fluid tight ends in the class. Burden was an underrated technician who added explosive speed. Trapilo, while not an elite athlete, was above-average and coupled that with sound, polished fundamentals. You’ll quickly find Lomu checks both boxes.

He demonstrated his athletic prowess at the scouting combine with a 4.99 in the 40-yard-dash at 6’6″, 313 lbs. His 32.5-inch vertical jump also showcased his lower-body explosion. With two years of starting experience, you can see Lomu already has the posture, hand technique, and patience of a quality offensive lineman. He doesn’t panic, trusts his fundamentals, and is rarely caught off guard by blitzes or stunts. Throw in the fact that he’s so mobile, and you start to see why Johnson would like him. This offense needs athletic blockers for its zone running system to work. Lomu fits like a glove.

There is one sticking point.

While Lomu is a good fit, he’s not a finished product. Most evaluators agree that he is underpowered. He doesn’t generate great movement in the running game or show an ability to stall power rushers. It is felt he must work to improve his upper-body strength before he reaches his full potential as a left tackle. This would hinge on both his willingness to work on the problem and the team’s confidence in their strength and conditioning staff to get him there. Having a top-30 visit would help answer the first part.

Ben Johnson knows what to look for in prospects and knows what questions to ask. He grilled Loveland last year ahead of the draft, not being shy about pushing him. The tight end passed with flying colors. Lomu can expect much the same during his visit. The Bears head coach wants to know how serious he is about football. Is it his job or his passion? It all matters. Some have questioned Lomu’s finisher mentality. Everything will be addressed ahead of the draft in two weeks.

Matt Miller of ESPN wrote in a recent article that the Chicago Bears are among several teams expressing serious interest in Missouri defensive end Zion Young. Remember, this is the same person who had them targeting Colston Loveland with the 10th pick last year. His connections are pretty good. Besides, it’s not hard to see why the Bears might like him. Young is described as a big defensive end with length and loads of power. Historically, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has preferred players of this type.

We saw that for years in New Orleans with Cameron Jordan and again when the Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo and drafted Shemar Turner last year. He likes size, power, and violence. The interesting part of this is whether the Bears are barking up the right tree. Both Odeyingbo and Turner flopped last season, both because of injuries and underwhelming play. Is this really the right path to tread again? Bob McGinn of Go Long spoke to multiple NFL scouts about Young. Their assessments were promising.

Zion Young has the building blocks of a good player.

“Young is a pretty player,” one scout said. “He has the look of an NFL player when he steps on the field. My main concern is his production against the best competition. He occasionally has reps where he relies on his length and athleticism thinking ‘I will win,’ followed by many reps where he doesn’t know, or understand, how to get past a blocker. The same things happened at the Senior Bowl. In the one-on-one’s, he had some success but, overall, there were not enough impactful plays.”

“He’s a much better player than that Darius Robinson (of Missouri) who got taken in the first round by the Cardinals (No. 27, 2024) and hasn’t done much,” said a third scout. “He’s tough, plays hard. They move him all up along the front because he’s so damn big. Not a top, top athlete but good enough for his size. He gets off, gets his arm out and controls people. His pass rush is more as a stunt kind of guy. They put him inside, too. He’s just not your edge guy. He’s a big power rusher. He’ll be in a 4-3, and some teams will even look at him as a 5-technique.”

This NFL template has worked plenty of times in the past.

While he might not be as explosive as other prospects, he has two key ingredients that always play at this level: power and quickness. Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen said NFL defensive linemen must be part buffalo and part ballet dancer. In other words, they need the strength to power through blockers and the foot quickness to change direction. Young has both. When you look at players throughout recent history who exhibited similar dimensions, you often find some pretty good names.

Everybody wants that edge defender who has all the tools in the box: size, speed, power, first-step quickness, and bend. The problem is there aren’t many of those guys in any given draft, and they almost always go in the top half of the 1st round. Since the Bears don’t pick until the 25th, they’ll have to decide what they’re willing to settle for. What can they live without? Do they want more size and power or more speed and explosiveness? This scenario has played out many times over the years. Los Angeles opted for the former, Jared Verse, in 2024 over Chop Robinson. Buffalo went with Gregory Rousseau over Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in 2021.

Perfect is the enemy of good.

One of the big mistakes teams often make is being so enamored with hitting home runs with their draft picks that they pass up good players. Sometimes it’s okay to hit a double. Zion Young doesn’t come across as a “special” player. That is fine. There aren’t many special players in a draft. The key for a team is to find good players. Coach Johnson has alluded to this on several occasions. His goal is to add good football players to his roster. Young has all the makings of a good football player.

A trio of him, Montez Sweat, and Austin Booker should create challenges for any offensive line. Running the ball will be much tougher against the Bears, which has been a big issue for them. His ability to move inside would be something Allen exploits frequently. If Young can improve his technique as a pass rusher, he can become a well-rounded player for a long time.

One would think that not picking in the top 10 for the first time in four years would mean the Chicago Bears don’t have to worry as much about things getting chaotic. Alas, it is never that simple in the draft. General manager Ryan Poles has been around long enough to understand that. Always expect the unexpected. Well, it sure sounds like things will get crazy in the upcoming 2026 draft. In a year where the prospect pool isn’t nearly as strong at the top as in other years, the belief is that this might create more volatility.

League insider Jordan Schultz revealed there is a growing sentiment that this 1st round could see some of the heaviest trade action in a long time. While most of the big moves are likely to happen near the top of the 1st round, some teams are hoping to move down from the bottom to land some extra picks later. After all, what this class lacks in blue-chip players it makes up for with depth at certain positions. This would lean into recent rumors that the Bears might be one of those teams.

We already know Ryan Poles isn’t afraid to move down.

He did it twice in 2023, and that was in the top 10, something most general managers would never consider. It worked out pretty well. Not only did the Bears land several extra picks, but they still managed to draft Darnell Wright 10th overall. That doesn’t include his time as a scouting director in Kansas City when they traded out of the 1st round in 2016 and landed Chris Jones. Right now, the Bears have seven picks in this draft. The problem is that they also have several starting jobs that remain uncertain. Poles is not the type of GM who likes such a slim margin of error.

That is why the rumors about the team exploring trade-down options are easy to believe. Barring an unexpected name slipping out of the top of the draft, the options available at #25 won’t be anything special. Experts believe there won’t be much separation in talent between someone taken there and someone taken in the 40s. If true, that means anybody the Bears take at that spot would be a reach. The smart thing to do would be to move down, grab an extra pick or two, and then take somebody they like.

The tricky part is finding a trade partner.

It’s one thing for Ryan Poles to want to move down. That means little if there are no teams interested in moving up. For that to happen, the Bears would need some kind of bait. The typical kind would be a quarterback that a team picking in the top of the 2nd round might want to come up for. New York and Arizona are two such possibilities since neither will take one in the top 10. Another possibility is teams looking for offensive playmakers. The Miami Dolphins have 11 picks in this draft and need wide receiver help. The same is true for the Las Vegas Raiders, especially as they prepare to pick a young quarterback at #1.

Often, the best way to lure teams into a deal is by pointing to those picking after you as threats. In this case, both the Buffalo Bills (#26) and San Francisco 49ers (#27) are believed to be in the market for help at guard. That might compel one or two teams that also need help there to make the jump. One thing we know about Poles is he’s good at working the phones. He’s found workable trades in situations that had no business happening. See Chase Claypool and Robert Quinn.

If there is a deal to be had, he’ll find it.

The Chicago Bears are suddenly becoming favorites to address the left tackle position in the 1st round of the upcoming draft. Several insiders, including Peter Schrager and Adam Jahns, have hinted at it over the past week. It makes sense. Ozzy Trapilo faces a long road to recovery from the knee injury he sustained in January. Braxton Jones and Jedrick Wills are both on one-year deals. The team needs to consider adding some form of insurance. If they aren’t sure about Trapilo’s long-term prospects, drafting a left tackle with the 25th pick isn’t a hard sell. Mike Tice agrees.

What nobody knows is who they should pick. Expectations are that a few intriguing names should be available when they go on the clock. Caleb Lomu of Utah and Blake Miller of Clemson are two who have come up a lot over the past several days. However, the former Bears offensive coordinator believes the one who deserves the real attention is Max Iheanachor of Arizona State. The longtime offensive line expert thinks he has the most upside of anybody in this class, with every primary issue being easily fixable with coaching.

Tice explained in detail on Football 301 with his son, Nate Tice.

The Bears would be wise to listen to Mike Tice.

Nobody argues that his three years with the team were a mixed bag. His offensive line didn’t perform overly well in that time, though part of that was the lack of talent to work with. One thing nobody can dispute is that Tice has an eye for talent. During his stint in Minnesota from 1997 to 2005, he had a direct hand in drafting six-time Pro Bowl center Matt Birk and Pro Bowl right tackle Bryant McKinnie. During his brief stint with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014, he helped them draft and develop Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Matthews.

This is without mentioning the fact that he played in the NFL for 14 years as a tight end, rubbing shoulders with outstanding blockers like Howard Ballard, Russ Grimm, Joe Jacoby, and Randall McDaniel. The man knows what the good ones are supposed to look like. If he’s pushing for a lineman, it would be wise to pay attention. The Minnesota Vikings certainly did last year when they took Donovan Jackson in the 1st round. He started 14 games as a rookie. Iheanachor getting his stamp of approval is a big deal.

He checks plenty of the Bears’ boxes.

GM Ryan Poles likes his tackles to be big athletes. That was the case with Darnell Wright and again with Trapilo. Iheanachor is 6’6″ and 321 lbs, but still runs a 4.91 in the 40-yard dash. Guys that size who can move like that are rare. Throw in his 34-inch arms and you start to see the appeal. The primary concern is his lack of polish. Having come over from Nigeria, Iheanachor hasn’t played football for long. Only five years. You can see the rawness in multiple areas of his game. That means you’ll need good coaching to help him take the final steps.

Thankfully, the Chicago Bears have that covered with Ben Johnson and Dan Roushar. Both are highly skilled at developing young offensive linemen. Mike Tice knows his stuff. If he thinks the young man has greatness in him, then this is a move the Bears have to consider. There is no doubt he has the athleticism to handle shifting to left tackle. Chicago has already proven they can help a young player make the transition with Trapilo. If they’re committed to locking down that left side, maybe they take Tice’s advice.

Not a lot of people had Colston Loveland anywhere on the Chicago Bears’ radar in 2025. They knew a tight end was at least possible, but everybody expected it to be Tyler Warren. One person went against the consensus in a public forum. That was Matt Miller. The ESPN draft insider had Loveland as the Bears’ target in his final mock draft, stating that the team had the Michigan product as the best in the class over Warren. Sure enough, Chicago snagged him 10th overall in the 1st round.

Miller saw him as a clone of Sam LaPorta, whom head coach Ben Johnson had turned into a Pro Bowler in Detroit.

“The Bears would love to see Jeanty fall to this spot, but new coach Ben Johnson can get his version of Sam LaPorta instead. I’ve heard consistently throughout the process that Chicago — and other teams — have Loveland as the top tight end in the class. I have him ranked the same.”

Well, Miller stepped up again to reveal some interesting tidbits about the draft. Since the Bears don’t pick until 25th overall, it is far more difficult to pinpoint a specific player they might be banking on. Typically, teams have a longer list of options they’d be comfortable with. That said, there is one name out there that has been generating a lot of buzz. For once, it is the exact player most of us expected.

“What we’re hearing about the Bears’ draft: After correctly predicting the Bears would draft Colston Loveland last year, I feel less confident in the individual player this time around but would bet No. 25 is used on a defensive lineman. Zion Young (Missouri) is a popular name in Chicago, from what I’ve heard. — Miller”

Like Colston Loveland, Young just fits so well.

The tight end was such a perfect option for Johnson’s offense, given his size, length, speed, and route-running. From the outset of the draft process, it became apparent that Young was the type of defensive end that Dennis Allen would love. The Bears’ defensive coordinator has a longstanding reputation for preferring edge defenders who meet specific criteria.

• They must be big (at least 6’4″, 260 lbs)
• They must be long (33-inch arms or more)
• Power must be part of their game

Allen likes these dimensions because it tends to make them good run defenders. That is a key part of his system. You saw it with Cameron Jordan, Marcus Davenport, Carl Granderson, and Trey Hendrickson in New Orleans. That is why they signed Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency last year.

Zion Young is the epitome of that type of player. He’s 6’6″, 261 lbs with 33-inch arms. His power is obvious throughout his frame, often able to bulldoze through blockers to make tackles or squeeze the pocket. Experts describe him as a relentless mauler who lives for the violence and carries himself with alpha energy. He’s already a good run defender and showed considerable progress in his pass rush last season with 6.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss. This carried over into his strong week at the Senior Bowl.

Young has the traits to be very good.

The truth is, the odds of the Bears landing a true difference-making edge rusher with the 25th pick were never great. Sure, there are instances throughout history of guys slipping through the cracks. Young could be one of them. He’s drawn comparisons to Za’Darius Smith. The former Baltimore Ravens 4th-round pick had the same body type and the same style of play, built around power. Most felt he wouldn’t become much of a pass rusher. Instead, he evolved his technique and became a three-time Pro Bowler with over 70 career sacks.

We at least know that, like Colston Loveland, Young would end up in a defense that is built for him. Allen would know exactly how to utilize his strengths and mask his weaknesses. We already know the defensive end is a football junkie who plays like his hair is on fire. Chicago needs more guys like that up front. He might not be the superstar everybody wants, but he would be a step in the right direction. Much depends on if he’s on the board when they go on the clock, and who else might be available.