The Chicago Bears might be tipping their draft intention

If you are following the Chicago Bears this offseason, most of their draft prospect visits have been players targeted for Day 3 or UDFA. There are a few exceptions, like Kayden McDonald (Ohio St) and Zion Young (Missouri), who have been linked to the Bears in the first round by many draft experts.

According to draft analyst Ryan Fowler, the team hosted Utah offensive lineman Caleb Lomu, the 6‑foot‑6, 313‑pound left tackle prospect, at Halas Hall on Friday. On the surface, it’s another routine pre‑draft meeting. But in context, this visit says far more about the Bears’ intentions and about the troubling reality surrounding Ozzy Trapilo’s injury than the team is willing to admit publicly.

Lomu is a Top-20 prospect who is one of the most athletic tackles in the 2026 class. He posted a 9.79 Relative Athletic Score, earning first‑team All‑Big 12 honors, and allowing zero sacks in 2025. That resume alone makes him a legitimate first‑round candidate. But the Bears’ interest isn’t simply about adding talent. It is about necessity.

Are the Bears drafting a left tackle in the first round?

The Bears already signed Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet, and Jedrick Wills Jr. to one‑year deals. But none of them are viewed as long‑term solutions at left tackle. Head coach Ben Johnson even admitted the team has a lot of uncertainty at left tackle and can’t rule out using a premium pick there.

And that brings us to the uncomfortable truth: Ozzy Trapilo’s injury is far more serious than the Bears have publicly acknowledged.

Trapilo was drafted just one year ago to be the future at left tackle. But he suffered a torn patellar injury in a playoff win against the Green Bay Packers. If the Bears believed he would fully recover, they would not be burning top‑30 visits on multiple first‑round tackles. Teams don’t spend this kind of draft capital on a position they think is stable.

Lomu’s visit isn’t just due diligence. It is a reflection of a franchise that no longer trusts Trapilo’s timeline, or perhaps his long‑term viability at all. When a second‑round pick suffers a major knee injury, and the team immediately pivots to first‑round replacements, the writing seems to be on the wall.

If the Bears select a left tackle at No. 25, it won’t be a luxury pick. It will be an admission that Trapilo may never return to the form they hoped for.

And today’s visit makes that possibility feel more real than ever. They are bracing for the worst and are preparing for life without him. And the Bears fans might have to accept that reality on draft night.

The post The Chicago Bears might be tipping their draft intention appeared first on ChiCitySports.