Ozzy Trapilo became only the second offensive tackle the Chicago Bears have selected in the first two rounds since they missed on Gabe Carimi in the first round in 2011, and they’re hoping he figures into the starting equation sooner rather than later.
Shoring up the offensive line in the NFL draft was a theme throughout the NFC North as all four teams addressed protecting the quarterback and opening running lanes.
Trapilo played mostly right tackle at Boston College, and that’s probably where the Bears will look at him first. A spot could become available if Darnell Wright, drafted in the first round in 2023, gets a look on the left side.
Wright also played mostly on the right side in college. He made 42 starts for Tennessee with 27 at right tackle, 13 at left tackle and two at guard.
There’s a lot of time for the Bears to sort through their options while waiting for incumbent left tackle Braxton Jones to return from ankle surgery. Here’s what stood out during the draft for their competition in the division.
Detroit Lions
Total picks: 7
First round: Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams, No. 28
Notable: Four of the Lions’ first five selections were on the line of scrimmage. Williams is a space eater at 6-foot-3, 334 pounds, and will pair well next to the more disruptive Alim McNeil. The Lions were ravaged by injuries on the defensive line late last season, so adding youth with upside made sense.
Edge rusher was viewed as a need area with more production needed opposite Aidan Hutchinson. Help didn’t arrive until the sixth round, when the Lions selected Boise State’s Ahmed Hassanein. He was super productive for the Broncos with 22 sacks and 32 tackles for a loss over the last two seasons, earning All-Mountain West honors both years.
The Lions also added a projected starter on the offensive line, grabbing Tate Ratledge out of Georgia in the second round. He’s a glass eater and figures to get the first chance to replace Kevin Zeitler at right guard. Miles Frazier, a fifth-round pick from LSU, also could figure in the mix.
Spotlight player: Arkansas WR Isaac TeSlaa, third round, No. 70
TeSlaa went higher than some projected after testing extremely well at the scouting combine. The 6-4, 214-pounder ran the 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds (with a 1.51 10-yard split) to go with a 39½-inch vertical jump and a 4.05-second 20-yard shuttle.
The Lions run so much play action, TeSlaa can be the vertical clear inside guy, running off defenders for Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams to make plays underneath. He also could develop as a big slot receiver, which is how they used Tim Patrick at times last season.
Green Bay Packers
Total picks: 8
First round: Texas WR Matthew Golden, No. 23
Notable: Golden is the first wide receiver the Packers have drafted in the first round since choosing Florida State’s Javon Walker at No. 20 in 2002. You can get away with that for an extended period when you find players like Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson in the second round.
Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL last season and has a lengthy injury history, so the Packers needed to prioritize wide receiver and got the third one off the board in Golden before circling back and drafting TCU’s Savion Williams in the third round. Williams is more of a Swiss Army knife who might play a Cordarrelle Patterson-type role and get work out of the backfield as well. He’s very powerful and, while not a great route runner, should provide coach Matt LaFleur with creative opportunities.
Five of general manager Brian Gutekunst’s eight picks were on the line of scrimmage, including North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton in the second round and Texas edge rusher Barryn Sorrell in the fourth. Sorrell is a little undersized and doesn’t have great length, but he has juice off the ball and a knack for producing second-effort plays. He plays with high energy and could factor into the rotation quickly.
Spotlight player: North Carolina State OT Anthony Belton, second round, No. 54
Belton had a standout week at the Senior Bowl. He’s a massive man at 6-6, 335 with 33 7/8-inch arms. The Packers believe he can play tackle in the NFL, but his first opportunity might come at right guard, where he would have to compete against Sean Rhyan for the starting job.
The Packers have spent the offseason reconfiguring the offensive line after they felt they got pushed around up front by opponents such as the Eagles, Lions, Vikings and even the Bears in the season finale at Lambeau Field when they couldn’t run the ball. They want the offense to run through running back Josh Jacobs and be more physical, so they paid big for left guard Aaron Banks in free agency, moved left guard Elgton Jenkins to center and figure to have a spirited competition at left tackle among last year’s starter Rasheed Walker, 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan and perhaps others.
The hope is Belton makes the Packers more stout and physical up front.
Minnesota Vikings
Total picks: 5
First round: Ohio State G Donovan Jackson, No. 24
Notable: With only five picks and one in the top 100, the Vikings continued an offseason makeover of the interior offensive line by selecting Jackson. They previously shelled out in free agency for right guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly.
Safety loomed as a critical need with Harrison Smith entering his 14th season and Josh Metellus projected as the starter alongside him, but GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah kept the focus in the trenches as the Vikings want to do everything possible to support quarterback J.J. McCarthy, their first-round pick a year ago.
Jackson has the flexibility to potentially slide over to left tackle if Christian Darrisaw isn’t back from a knee injury to start the season. Jackson boosted his stock last fall by replacing Josh Simmons at left tackle for the Buckeyes and playing well in big games. But long term, Jackson’s future is probably on the interior.
Defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, a fifth-round pick from Georgia, is really big at 6-5, 276, but has the ability to play end some for creative defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Spotlight player: Maryland WR Tai Felton, third round, No. 102
Felton is a straight-line speed receiver who can scoot with a 4.37-second 40 time. He’s not very big at 6-1, 183, but could fit nicely with Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison as the shot-play guy who can take the top off defenses and clear out windows in the passing game.
Felton was super productive for the Terrapins with 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and the Vikings noted he was a tough customer for his size with the strength to shake free from defensive backs.
