The Chicago Bears are a team to watch when it comes to drafting an offensive tackle in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft after the comments made by head coach Ben Johnson at the NFL Annual Meeting.

“Obviously, you’d love to have your long-term starter for the next 10 years locked up,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now though. We don’t know. Ozzy [Trapilo’s] coming off a pretty serious injury. Not sure if we’ll have him next year or at what point he’ll come up. And so we’re going to have an opportunity right now for a lot of competition.”

The Ozzy Trapilo injury suffered in the NFC’s Wild Card Round threw a major wrench in the team’s offseason plans. Even after re-signing Braxton Jones and taking a flier on Jedrick Wills Jr., the team has still been doing research on top tackles in the draft.

Armed with the 25th overall pick in the first-round, Chicago could look to address the left tackle need with a big swing once and for all. But, one ESPN analyst has expressed some concerns about the Bears making such a move.

ESPN’s Field Yates believes drafting a first-round OT would be a rash move by the Bears

“You want to make sure you have a good option at left tackle,” ESPN’s Field Yates said to Waddle & Silvy on ESPN Chicago. “But, 2027, you expect Ozzy Trapilo to be back in that spot. He is, by all accounts, the kind of guy that you can build the left side of the offensive line around, at least based off what he showed down the stretch as a rookie. . .

So, do you spend big at left tackle in the draft, in terms of a premium pick, when that guy might just be a one-year starter for you and then have to find a new home. Or, do you wait until the middle portion of the draft and add another guy that can be competition along with Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills, and all of the players they currently have on the roster.”

Yates brought up some fascinating points there and it’s a logic I agree with. The Bears during free agency showed they’re willing to ride out the 2026 season with a short-term plan between Jones and Wills. That allows the Bears to go into 2027 with a fresh slate and then get a clear look at Trapilo post-injury before deciding what to do long-term.

If the Bears jump the gun and take Max Iheanachor or Caleb Lomu with the 25th pick, and then Trapilo is able to return in 2027, the Bears essentially wasted a first-round pick because you can’t play both players.

Yates had another great point about waiting out the position and seeing if there’s a prospect in the mid-late rounds who can elevate the competition for 2026 and be a depth option, someone like Miami’s Markel Bell.

I’m in the firm belief the Bears just need avoid drafting a first-round tackle before seeing how Trapilo recovers.

Ryan Poles has a lot of faith in Ozzy Trapilo coming back after such a serious injury

Twice now this offseason, general manager Ryan Poles has expressed optimism that Trapilo will be able to come back following such a serious injury. It’s going to take time, but the staff doesn’t believe Trapilo won’t be able to return eventually.

“Medically, we don’t have anything that says he can’t return to form,” Poles told ESPN. “I think what makes it tough is it’s not one of those September injuries that you’re out for the season and then you get this ramp-up time. You’re ramping up while the train has already left to station for the season.

And we’ve noticed that when you don’t have training camp to prepare, it’s really hard to replicate those reps to get prepared for live action and to play at a really high level. So I think that’s probably where [Johnson’s expressed uncertainty] comes from a little bit more than anything. But there’s nothing that we’ve gotten to make this a unique situation where he can’t be himself. He’s progressing.”

Part of this also depends on the evaluation the coaches said of Trapilo’s game during the final stretch. Was it enough to inspire confidence that he can be the long-term solution once he’s healthy again? Trapilo sure stood out in a positive way against some of the top pass rushers in the league on a week-to-week basis.

It’s an incredibly difficult decision to be in. On one side of the coin, you can find a firm solution at a critical offensive position. On the other side of the coin, you could end up wasting a first-round pick by making a rash decision.