Bears continue reinforcing the offensive line for Caleb Williams this offseason by using a Day 2 selection to create competition at left tackle
The Chicago Bears have selected Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo with the 56th overall pick in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft after trading back with the Buffalo Bills.Chicago opted not to make some kind of offensive tackle splash in the first-round electing instead to wait and take top offensive lineman on Day […]
The Chicago Bears have selected Boston College offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo with the 56th overall pick in the second-round of the 2025 NFL Draft after trading back with the Buffalo Bills.
Chicago opted not to make some kind of offensive tackle splash in the first-round electing instead to wait and take top offensive lineman on Day 2 to continue building up the trenches. This pick is all Ryan Poles, who lands a Boston College offensive lineman after he himself played up-front for the Eagles.
Why drafting OL makes sense on Day 2 and helps take advantage of the rest of the draft
Adding an offensive lineman of some sort always seemed to be on the table for the Bears in this draft and after watching multiple fly off the board on the opening night, it was time to finally strike to create more competition at left tackle.
Even though the starting five seemed to be set up-front in Chicago, left tackle needed some kind of addition. Even if Trapilo doesn't start, the team learned the hard way in 2024 how important it is to have quality depth on the offensive line outside of the starting five, and it's something Ben Johnson wanted to prioritize this time around.
"You usually play with eight or nine guys [on the offensive line] over the course of the season. It's not just the starting group that needs to be gelled, but we have some depth players, some young guys, that may or may not be in the building right now that we're going to be counting on," Johnson explained.
Taking the swing here, on a high-upside prospect such as Trapilo, gives the Bears security up-front and opens the board up a lot more for the remainder of the draft.
Ozzy Trapilo's fit in Chicago and in Ben Johnson's offense
By taking a first-round offensive line, the complete overhaul of the trenches continues for Ryan Poles and the Bears' front office. The team has now added Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, and Trapilo to the offensive front.
Protecting quarterback Caleb Williams has very clearly been priority #1 for this offseason after watching their franchise quarterback get sacked 68 times as a rookie.
With Braxton Jones, Thuney, Dalman, Jackson, and Darnell Wright all in the fold up-front, Trapilo might not start immediately but that shouldn't discredit the pick. The coaching staff will likely open the door for Trapilo to compete with Jones, who's coming off a serious injury and entering the final year of his deal, at left tackle.
Trapilo was a three-year starter at Boston College, playing at both left and right tackle positions in a run-heavy system. He's a crafty player who will fit extremely well in this system whether that's in 2025 or not.
Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College Scouting Report
Age: 23 (10/17/2001)
A to Z Sports Draft Projection: No. 121 overall, Round 4
Scouting Report: "You don't necessarily think about Boston College as a school that produces good offensive linemen, but they are surprisingly good at it. Trapilo was a four-star recruit out of Boston in the 2020 recruiting class who redshirted his first year. He then just started two games during his redshirt freshman season. Luckily after that he got plenty of experience starting on both the left and right sides of the offensive line–left tackle as a redshirt sophomore and the last two seasons at right tackle. Trapilo's patience and strong first step paired with his incredible size at 6'8" give you a lot to work with at offensive tackle. Overall, Trapilo projects to be a swing tackle right away with the ability to develop into a starter in any scheme." – A to Z Sports' Tyler Forness
Career Projection: Eventual Good Starter
Final Word
It's not the sexiest pick to make on Day 2 but championship level teams are formed in the trenches, with top talent and depth at multiple positions. Trapilo gives the Bears another high-upside player at both tackle positions for the future.
This seemed to be the direction the team was headed all along at some point and this decision will prove to be worth it in the long-run.
