Objective number one for Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles this offseason was to rebuild his team’s offensive line… a unit that gave up an appalling number of sacks — 68 of them, to be precise — during the 2024 season. Poles didn’t waste any time, acquiring Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman in a span of 48 hours. At that point, the only question left was whether the Bears would address a potential opening at left tackle.
On the second night of the 2025 NFL Draft, Poles provided an answer. With the 56th overall pick, the Bears selected Boston College standout Ozzy Trapilo, a small mountain who happens to play left tackle at an exceptionally high level. It hasn’t taken long for Trapilo to prove that his game translates from the ACC to the NFL. It’s early August, and the rookie already looks to have gained the inside track to start at left tackle when the season begins in September.
“He’s a rookie, but he feels like a veteran just as far as how he carries himself, how he works on the field,” Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said, per Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic.
The fact that Trapilo is as polished and mature as he is could likely be credited to his pedigree. His father, Steve Trapilo, played a handful of seasons for the New Orleans Saints. Additionally, the Boston College football program is well known for being a breeding ground for offensive lineman — back in the day, Ryan Poles was one of those BC offensive linemen. Ozzy Trapilo is just the latest to make it to the NFL.
“I think that’s the beauty of a program like Boston College,” Bears head coach Ben Johnson said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Gene Chamberlain. “They are, and they’ve been known for a number of years, to produce offensive linemen that are pro ready. They run a pro system with (coach) Bill O’Brien and Will Lawing, the offensive coordinator. He is a good buddy of mine. He gave me great insight on Ozzy, not only as a player, but also the type of person that he is.”
For Ozzy Trapilo, It’s All About the Work
Ever since he was a kid who had to cut weight in order to be allowed to play Pop Warner football, Trapilo has been thinking the game in a way that not everyone does. It’s why throughout the draft process, he was being tagged as a player who was a “technician” at the position.
“The quickest way to get on the field and to close that gap is to just be as technique-driven as possible,” Trapilo stated. “Knowing your assignment, knowing what to do, how to do it, and then doing it as close to how the coaches want you to do it as you possibly can.”
The work to be as technique-driven as possible paid off, and now the dependable 23-year-old who towers over his teammates in the Bears offensive line room is closing in on becoming a day one starter in Chicago.
“For a big man who moves well, he’s a very smart football player,” Bears director of player personnel Trey Koziol noted on draft night. “He’s very technically sound. And I think the dependability piece, especially in the offensive line room, can’t be overrated.”
If Trapilo does end up winning the competition over Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie — who seems to be falling out of the three-man competition by the day — he’ll immediately become one of the most important and depended upon players on this Bears roster in 2025.
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