The Chicago Bears have made their stance known that anything is on the table when it comes to the left tackle position, and the team is hosting one of the top prospects at the position for a pre-draft visit.
The Chicago Bears are keeping their options open at the left tackle position, and a recent pre-draft visit indicates the team could have intentions to use high draft capital to find a solution.
Utah left tackle Caleb Lomu visited Halas Hall on Friday for a pre-draft 30 visit. The 6-foot-6, 313-pound offensive lineman also visited the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns over the last few days, according to NFL and CFB analyst Ryan Fowler.
During the NFL's annual league meeting, head coach Ben Johnson told reporters that there will competition at the left tackle position, which includes Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills and Theo Benedet.
When discussing the competition, Johnson mentioned the team "can't rule out the draft either" as options to fill the position.
"So I think we've put ourselves in a really good situation to where much like last year we can go into this draft and stay true to our board and not force any pick," Johnson said. "If there's a tackle or a defensive tackle or a (defensive) end, I think we can go any direction we need to and stay true to that and feel pretty good about it. To give you clarity, it's hard to say right now what that left tackle spot's going to look like this year or five years from now."
If the Bears draft Lomu, he can easily become the left tackle for the next five years.
He was only a two-year starter at Utah, but he showed why he is going to be selected early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Lomu allowed zero sacks and just eight quarterback pressures in 2025, an improvement from his first year as a starter when he gave up two sacks and 17 quarterback pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.
Here are some of the strengths that are listed in The Athletic's "The Beast."
- Initial quickness gets him to most reach and cut-off blocks
- Showcases fantastic range and timing on GGT counter and cross-formation pulls
- Above-average lateral quickness and adequate balance in his pass sets
His strengths match up with what Johnson and offensive line coach Dan Roushar would ideally want in their offensive linemen. A player who is athletic, can get out in space and finish blocks in the Bears' outside zone scheme.
Some of Lomu's weaknesses that are mentioned in The Beast include his inconsistencies in pass pro when it comes to his hand usage and landmarks, but also his play strength.
ESPN insider Peter Schrager and NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah did a first-round mock draft earlier in the week, and Schrager chose Lomu for the Bears. Jeremiah noted some areas that the talented offensive tackle must work on in the NFL.
"He's got really good athleticism, it's just a core strength issue for him," Jeremiah said. "He's just got to get stronger in his core. He gets pushed and pulled a little bit too much, so that's something you're going to work on with him, but really execellent getting out in space, working up to the second level. The big thing is just we got to get a little bit stronger in our core."
The Bears may have some pressing needs on the defensive side of the ball, but left tackle is a premium position. Ozzy Trapilo is expected to miss the entire 2026 season and it's impossible to gauge what he will be like physically when he can recover and get back on the football field.
Jones, Wills and Benedet will compete for the job regardless of what the Bears do in the draft. If the Bears' draft board tells general manager Ryan Poles that Lomu is the best player available at pick No. 25, then the Utah left tackle will likely be the pick, and the future at that position becomes a lot more clear moving forward.