Chicago Bears 2nd-round rookie has ‘discouraging’ step back

The Chicago Bears entered April’s draft with four selections in the first 72 picks. That should have meant the Bears were going to have a big impact from the youth early in the season.

Unfortunately, only Luther Burden III has been impactful in the first three weeks, leading the Bears in receiving in Week 3. Second-round picks defensive tackle Shemar Turner and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo have already been healthy scratches.

Chicago Bears OT Ozzy Trapilo took a step back

Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic is worried about Trapilo suffering a setback since training camp. Darnell Wright’s elbow injury could cause the right tackle to miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. If so, Theo Benedet is expected to start in place of Wright, a bad sign for Trapilo, who was expected to be the swing tackle if he couldn’t outright win the starting left tackle job in training camp.

“It is concerning that a second-round tackle can’t even be active,” Fishbain wrote. “Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles were open about Trapilo’s taking a step back in camp, which led to his move back to the right side. Poles saw Trapilo’s technique, which was his calling card, begin to falter.

“That’s not an abnormal occurrence for a rookie, but someone with Trapilo’s size and his supposed polished technique shouldn’t need more than a month to get back up the depth chart. I thought we’d see him as an extra lineman to get him those game reps. Instead, it’s been Benedet.”

A disappointing beginning

Fishbain thinks the step back from Trapilo is “discouraging.”

Trapilo isn’t the only Poles’ draft pick to take a step back this season. Wright’s play has been an issue this month, as the former first-round pick has been called for six penalties in the first three weeks. The Bears were able to overcome problems with the offensive line against the Dallas Cowboys, but it’ll be a much different contest against Maxx Crosby and the Raiders.

And a second-round pick’s greatest contribution might be to stay on the sideline.

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