Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles got dealt a tough hand this offseason. Not only did his team lose their starting left tackle, Ozzy Trapilo, to a knee injury, but Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman retired at age 27. The two most critical spots on the offensive line were vacated right when things were coming together. Thankfully, Poles managed to at least avoid a calamity by trading for Garrett Bradbury from New England and bringing back Braxton Jones. That should buy him some time to consider his options.

Based on info coming in from the pre-draft circuit, it is clear the Bears are scouring the country for possible long-term options at center. They met with Sam Hecht of Kansas City, arguably the best in this draft. They also met with Keylan Rutledge, a top guard who might move to center. Now it appears the Bears are exploring a tactic the Tampa Bay Buccaneers recently used to great effect: moving an offensive tackle from Duke to the position.

That is what happened with Graham Barton two years ago. Now the same is expected of his replacement, Brian Parker II, whom the Bears hosted for a top-30 visit.

Ryan Poles’ interest in Parker is hardly surprising.

One of the popular comparisons for the young offensive lineman is Ryan Bates. The Bears GM famously tried signing the veteran guard as a restricted free agent before finally trading for him a year later. Bates had a good mix of size and athleticism, making him a top-quality backup. Unfortunately, health setbacks ruined his chances at a starting job. Parker is built the same way. He has tackle height, moves well in space, has polished technique, and isn’t often caught off guard by twists or stunts.

The key issues are his shorter arms and his lack of experience at center. It was the same problem that faced Barton when Tampa Bay drafted him. They bet that his intelligence and their coaching would see the transition through and were rewarded. Chicago has Dan Roushar, one of the best in the business, running the offensive line. Parker would have no trouble settling into the position quickly under his watch. It all depends on whether they feel he is one of their best options.

This method has actually worked for the Bears before.

In 2016, they drafted Kansas State left tackle Cody Whitehair in the 2nd round. Their initial plan was to move him to left guard. Unfortunately, Hroniss Grasu tore his ACL in training camp. That forced the Bears to make a tough decision: move Whitehair to center. He ended up starting four seasons at the position, making the Pro Bowl in 2018. He was never perfect, but he was probably the best center the Bears have drafted since Olin Kreutz. If he hadn’t suffered from constant snapping issues, he probably would’ve held the job a lot longer.

That is the path forward for Parker. He has all the physical tools. Nobody disputes his intelligence. It’s about putting in the work to learn a new position. Ryan Poles has never been afraid to make projection picks if he liked the talent enough. The difference this time is that he has the coaching staff necessary for it to work.

The Chicago Bears have been busy the past few weeks as colleges across the country hold their annual pro days to help draft prospects showcase their skills one last time. General manager Ryan Poles has popped up at a few of them, as has director of player personnel Terry Koziol. Yet nobody has been more travelled lately than offensive line coach Dan Roushar. He’s hard at work trying to help the team figure out their center and left tackle positions after multiple disruptions. Ozzy Trapilo tore up his knee, and Drew Dalman retired. They are likely to go into this draft seeking help.

Roushar has made stops at pro days for several notable prospects, including Kansas State’s Sam Hecht and Georgia Tech’s Keyland Rutledge. However, some in the draft community were somewhat shocked that the Bears coach was nowhere to be found at Iowa’s pro day on Monday.

This feels quite prominent considering Iowa has long been one of the bigger factories for good offensive linemen in the NFL. Logan Jones is considered among the better centers in this draft class, drawing comparisons to Garrett Bradbury, whom the Bears literally traded for a few weeks ago.

Why would the Chicago Bears skip this pro day?

Keep in mind, it’s not just Jones they passed up on watching. Hawkeyes guard Gennings Dunker is already generating lots of buzz as a future starter. The Bears didn’t want to see either player up close or speak to them? That means one of two things. Either the team genuinely has little interest in them, or they’re trying to keep their actual interest as lowkey as possible. Jones feels like the type of player Bears general manager Ryan Poles would love: undersized, athletic, intelligent, physical, and nasty.

Perhaps they prefer not to take an older prospect. Jones turns 25 this year. Or it could be his limited anchor in pass protection. Then again, that is the same problem Dalman had when they signed him, and it didn’t seem to bother them that much. The truth is, the Bears have a weird habit of not taking offensive line prospects from schools known for producing them. Nobody from Alabama. Nobody from Notre Dame, Ohio State, Wisconsin, or Iowa. Maybe it’s a coincidence, but seeing things like this makes it feel more deliberate.

Overthinking has been the biggest enemy of this team.

When you look at the Chicago Bears’ biggest offensive line successes over the past 30 years, there is often a correlation with the size of the school they attended. Olin Kreutz came from Washington. Kyle Long went to Oregon. Charles Leno went to Boise State. Cody Whitehair went to Kansas State. Teven Jenkins went to Oklahoma State. Darnell Wright went to Tennessee. By and large, each player came from established programs with good track records for producing offensive linemen.

Then you look at their bigger flops over the years and the correlation mostly holds true. Marc Colombo went to Boston College. Chris Williams went to Vanderbilt. Kiran Amegadjie went to Yale. The only outlier was Gabe Carimi, who went to Wisconsin, but he was derailed by injuries. They say scout the player, not the helmet. While that is true, the fact remains that the large majority of good offensive linemen still come from a select group of schools. Iowa is one of them.

The Chicago Bears are getting through pro days and private visits with top draft prospects. They have just over a month left before the action begins on April 23rd. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson still have tons of work to do before setting their board. The obvious challenge is determining who will be at or near the top. Several prospects are unlikely to be available to them at #25 overall. That means they must be realistic about who they have a reasonable shot at taking. One of those names is Kayden McDonald.

The big defensive tackle from Ohio State confirmed to Justin Melo of Sports Illustrated that he has met with the Bears twice. He met them formally at the scouting combine and has also visited Halas Hall for a top-30 visit.

I feel like I’ve been meeting with pretty much every NFL team. It’s a total blessing. Formal interviews, Zoom meetings, it really feels like it’s been every team (laughs). I had formals at the NFL Combine with the Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, and a few others.

I’ve been on Top 30 visits. I have one with the Bengals, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins, Washington Commanders, Ravens, Bears.

Meeting with a defensive tackle shouldn’t be a surprise. The Bears have obvious needs along the defensive line with Andrew Billings gone, Grady Jarrett in his 30s, and Gervon Dexter in the last year of his contract. It isn’t McDonald’s talent that makes this supposed interest from Chicago so odd. It’s the type of player he is.

Kayden McDonald doesn’t fit Dennis Allen’s usual type.

Or more specifically, he doesn’t meet the parameters of defensive tackles that the Bears’ defensive coordinator has targeted in previous drafts. Since 2011, Allen has seen nine players drafted at that position. All who were selected before the 3rd round weighed no more than 300 lbs. In fact, only two of them weighed more than 310 lbs. One was 4th round pick Justin Ellis in 2014, and the other was 6th round pick Khristian Boyd in 2024. McDonald is listed at 326 lbs and is expected to go between the bottom of the 1st round or the top of the 2nd. That is far above the typical range Allen’s teams have added such players in the past.

So why the interest? McDonald is considered somewhat unique as a talent. Though he has the classic body of a nose tackle and the power to go with it, he is considered abnormally quick for his size. This allows him to shoot gaps and make plays in the backfield. This is before you discuss his excellent ability as a run defender. Some people see shades of Vince Wilfork, who had many similar qualities. It’s worth remembering the Bears were 27th against the run last season. Having somebody like McDonald in the middle could alleviate such problems.

The Bears might be willing to make an exception.

While Kayden McDonald is heavier than Allen’s preferred type of defensive tackle, he’s shown to be quick and explosive enough to overlook it. While not a pure penetrator from a pass-rush perspective, he has enough to complement his elite run-defending ability. Remember, Allen is a defensive coordinator who loves to blitz. To be effective in that department, the defense should aim to put opponents in long down-and-distance situations. Nothing makes that easier than a strong run defense.

Coach Johnson said his only goal is to add good football players to this roster. Measurables aside, McDonald is a good football player. If Allen can’t find a use for somebody with his unique skill, then maybe he shouldn’t be a coordinator in the NFL. Part of the problem for this team has been controlling the line of scrimmage. Too often, they’ve been easily pushed around by strong offensive lines. That would start changing with McDonald on the field. Everything boils down to whether Allen is willing to go outside his comfort zone.

Since the college season ended, most people believed Miami defensive end Rueben Bain was a lock to be a top 15 pick in the 2026 draft. His dominance throughout last season was impossible to ignore. The tape was littered with impact plays. Yet as the draft draws closer, Bain’s stock seems to be sagging. He isn’t generating the kind of buzz you’d expect from a projected top pick, leading some to wonder if he’s in store for a tumble down boards on opening night. Could that mean the Chicago Bears are in play?

It sounds crazy considering they pick 25th overall. Nobody dared believe Bain would be anywhere close to that range. However, the fact that Bears general manager Ryan Poles showed up at Miami’s pro day suggests he has knowledge that the possibility exists. He has a habit of attending pro days of players the Bears intend to draft if given the opportunity. Does he think Bain is there for the taking? There is growing evidence that the stars might be aligning for it to happen.

Rueben Bain can’t escape the measurements.

One of the primary talking points surrounding the pass rusher is his arm length. It was always clear his arms were shorter than average, but things took a turn when it was revealed they were barely over 30 inches long. That is exceedingly short. Remember, 33 is considered the preferred minimum at the pro level. The highest a pass rusher with arms below 32 inches has been drafted in the past 20 years was Melvin Ingram, who went 18th in 2012. NFL.com draft expert Chad Reuter provided more context to this situation.

Barnett was an incredibly productive pass rusher in college, racking up 33 sacks in three seasons. He still only went 14th in the draft. Robinson was labeled as the next Micah Parsons by many going into his draft. He didn’t go until the 21st pick. Neither player has had what you’d call a dominant career to this point, though both have been good. None of this helps Bain’s case for going high in the 1st round. Nothing has indicated he can be an exception to the rule, and his conduct ahead of the draft isn’t helping.

Bain has avoided testing like the plague.

The Miami standout has sworn up and down that the measurements mean nothing. Watch the tape. That is fine. However, he hasn’t exactly done the best job of assuaging fears. Not only did Rueben Bain skip athletic testing at the scouting combine last month, but he also at his pro day on Monday. While he may think it doesn’t matter, such actions lead NFL teams to think he might be trying to hide something. Marvin Harrison Jr. did the same thing in 2024. Though he still went #4 overall, his career to this point has been disappointing. Don’t think for a second teams don’t have that in the back of their minds, especially since Bain isn’t near the athlete Harrison was.

All of this suits the Bears just fine. Picking 25th means they incur far less risk than a team in the top 15. They can afford to take the gamble on Bain because the pick value is far lower. If he doesn’t pan out, it hurts, but it doesn’t cripple you. Still, players like him, with his never-say-die playing style, tend to produce at the NFL level. Bain doesn’t have the highest ceiling of players in this class, but he should be able to produce immediately. For a playoff hopeful team like the Bears, that is good.