Bears HC Ben Johnson is showing his true feelings about one offensive position based on the latest confirmed 30 visit
The Chicago Bears have done plenty of homework on the incoming center class to find a long-term replacement for Drew Dalman.
The Chicago Bears were hit with a tough situation this offseason when 27-year-old Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman announced his retirement one year into his contract with the team. The Bears had to quickly pivot to find a new starting option and reached a deal with the New England Patriots to acquire Garrett Bradbury.
“We felt like the best thing for us to do was to make that trade with a veteran center that’s played with a young quarterback before, that’s very good with his communication, smart, been in different systems,” Bears general manager Ryan Poles said of Bradbury. “We feel like he can plug in and have command of that O-line.”
The kicker with acquiring this specific player is that Bradbury is not a long-term option for the Bears. He has one year remaining on his current contract and is already 30-years-old. The Bears will need a more defined plan at the position beyond the 2026 season to grow with quarterback Caleb Williams, which is why head coach Ben Johnson is doing plenty of homework on the incoming center class.
Senior Bowl standout James Brockermeyer joins the list of centers meeting with the Bears
The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away and we continue to get more reported names that are expected to meet with the Bears on a 30 visit. Former Miami center James Brockermeyer became the 11th player added to the list on Monday, as he’s expected to meet with the team later this week.
Last Monday, Poles went down to the Miami Pro Day and got his guys on top prospects such as Rueben Bain Jr., Akheem Mesidor, Keionte Scott and others. The name many overlooked from the list of Miami prospects was Brockermeyer.
Brockermeyer had a standout showing at the Senior Bowl earlier in the draft process. Yet, that showing and his season that included a trip to the National Championship Game wasn’t enough to earn an invite to the NFL Combine. Which is what makes this upcoming visit even more important.
Lance Zierlein of NFL Network praised Brockermeyer’s NFL bloodline, admirable grit and above-average intelligence despite being an undersized center. He’s a downhill lead blocker, a trait that is a requirement at the position to play in Johnson’s offense. During his final season at Miami, Brockermeyer was also one of two centers to allow zero sacks on 550+ pass blocking snaps (the other being Ole Miss’ Brycen Sanders) while allowing just 12 pressures.
It is incredibly easy to see why the Bears want to get a closer look at this guy as a potential Day 3 option. In the bigger picture, Brockermeyer is now the third center to have a confirmed visit with the Bears joining Kentucky’s Jager Burton and Duke’s Brian Parker. The Bears also led a sizeable scouting party down to the Kansas State Pro Day to work hands-on with Samuel Hecht.
Clearly, center is a top focus for the Bears going into the 2026 NFL Draft and at some point, the Bears will add another player to compete for the long-term job.
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