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Sunday marks the final day of workouts in the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. This time around, it’s the offensive linemen who get their chance to shine in Indianapolis.
The Bears find themselves in a much more favorable position along their offensive line than they were this time a year ago. That said, there are still some depth questions and a potential for a competition at left tackle, making it likely they’ll have plenty of eyes on Day 4 of the Combine.
With general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson among Chicago’s representatives at the Combine, here’s a look at the state of each position on the Bears’ roster, as well as my top 10 prospects at each spot in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Offensive tackles
Coming off a season which saw him named second-team All-Pro, Darnell Wright seems to have the right tackle position on lock for the Bears.
He’s been one of Ryan Poles’ best draft picks in his tenure as Chicago’s general manager, and Wright projects as an extension candidate this offseason. Whether it comes before the draft or after, it feels like a foregone conclusion they’ll pay him big money when his rookie contract expires.
The Bears got strong play for a rookie out of Ozzy Trapilo when his time came to enter the starting lineup. He had his “welcome to the NFL” moments on occasion, but he fared much better than the typical first-year left tackle does at the next level. Unfortunately for him, his injury suffered in the Wild Card game against the Packers figures to have him out for most of 2026.
As far as internal candidates go, the top choice as the Bears’ starting left tackle would be Theo Benedet, who started in eight games for them in 2025. He’s a high-level depth piece, but his lack of length limits his range as a blocker at tackle. Kiran Amegadjie is still on the roster, though he hasn’t quite lived up to his third-round draft hype from 2024. Braxton Jones is slated to hit free agency, as well.
Should the Bears take an offensive tackle, Day 2 feels like a likely possibility. The only problem, however, is that a lot of other teams need offensive tackles this year, and there aren’t too many top collegiate tackles who project as staying outside in the pros. Their best bet might be to take a flyer on a raw prospect in Round 3, as they could find blockers with high ceilings in that range. It feels tough to imagine the best player on the board with Chicago’s picks in Rounds 1 or 2 will end up being an offensive tackle.
Top 10 offensive tackles
- Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
- Spencer Fano, Utah
- Caleb Lomu, Utah
- Monroe Freeling, Georgia
- Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
- Blake Miller, Clemson
- Max Iheanachor, Arizona State
- Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
- Isaiah World, Oregon
- Jude Bowry, Boston College
Interior offensive linemen
Last offseason saw the Bears completely overhaul their interior offensive line with three new starters, and it’s an approach that paid off incredibly well for them.
Left guard Joe Thuney and center Drew Dalman both made it to the Pro Bowl in the first season with the Bears, with Thuney earning first-team All-Pro and Protector of the Year recognition. Right guard Jonah Jackson provided stability and bounced back to his form in Detroit after an injury-plagued down season with the Rams in 2024.
Along the bench, the Bears have preseason standout Luke Newman and impending restricted free agent Jordan McFadden, the latter of whom having surprised fans with his strong play as a starter in Chicago’s Divisional Round loss to the Rams. They will eventually need a successor for the 33-year-old Thuney, but the interior offensive line doesn’t stand out as a pressing need right now.
The 2026 NFL Draft isn’t necessarily loaded with interior offensive line talent near the top of the board. I don’t have a single center or guard inside of my top 25, though Olaivavega Ioane did have a very strong campaign at Penn State this year. Both the center and guard classes have some intriguing developmental pieces early on Day 3, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a few surprise starters to emerge from the bunch in due time. As far as immediate starters go, however, this isn’t the deepest class for that.
Top 10 interior offensive linemen
- Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State
- Gennings Dunker, Iowa
- Chase Bisontis, Texas A&M
- Brian Parker II, Duke
- Connor Lew, Auburn
- Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
- Jake Slaughter, Florida
- Logan Jones, Iowa
- Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
- Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M