There are some interesting decisions the Chicago Bears need to make as to how they want to handle the left tackle position in 2026.
Last year's starter late in the season, Ozzy Trapilo, is going to miss a good portion of 2026 with the injury he suffered in the playoff win over the Green Bay Packers. That has left the Bears with Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr., or Theo Benedet to hold down the position.
Some have suggested using the NFL Draft to find that left tackle in the first round, which might have led the Bears to recently visit with Utah offensive tackle Caleb Lomu, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. It was reported last week that Lomu was visiting with the Bears on a 30-visit basis, as the team was showing real interest in him.
Bears visited with potentially their next left tackle in Caleb Lomu
Last year, Lomu was a first-team All-Big 12 selection for Utah as he allowed eight pressures, two quarterback hits, and zero sacks on 383 pass blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus gave him an overall grade of 68.4.
Jones is most likely in line to start at left tackle for the Bears, given his prior experience in head coach Ben Johnson's offense. Last year, Jones was the Day 1 starter, but an injury and losing the job early prevented him from being on the field again the rest of the season.
Chicago could look at Lomu as the future at the position, or at least will compete with Trapilo for the job in 2027 and beyond. If Lomu is selected and plays well, it could help make the case that Trapilo should be shut down for all of 2026 and start the next season again.
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Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been preaching that the team will select the best player available at 25. It might be hard to ignore Lomu if he is still sitting there for Chicago.
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