Ryan Poles Just Upended The Bears’ Draft Projections With Alabama Pro Day Visit
With free agency largely over, it looked like the Chicago Bears‘ plans for the upcoming 2026 draft were clear. Having overhauled the offense last offseason, the time felt right to do the same on defense this year. They need talent at all three levels, especially up front after finishing 29th in the NFL last season. General manager Ryan Poles is leading the charge as always, out on the scouting trail searching for more difference-makers. So far, his visits on the pro day circuit have lined up with those assumptions.
He first popped up at Oklahoma to get a look at prominent defensive line standouts Gracen Halton and R Mason Thomas. Then he went down to Miami to watch stud edge rushers Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. Nothing out of the ordinary so far. Well, Poles finally threw Bears fans a curveball when he appeared at the Alabama pro day. The Crimson Tide isn’t expected to deliver a strong defensive class this year. Most of the attention is on their offensive linemen, particularly left tackle Kadyn Proctor.
This was further solidified when Bears representatives, including Poles, were paying close attention to offensive line drills.
Ryan Poles might not be done at left tackle.
Now, mind you, Proctor isn’t the only name the Bears could be looking at. SM reported the Bears have had significant interest in wide receiver Germie Bernard. Rugged and powerful defensive end LT Overton is another possibility, as is center Parker Brailsford. However, none of those players are going in the 1st round. It wouldn’t make sense for Poles to show up at the pro day unless he planned to look at somebody he may have a chance to draft with that 25th overall pick. The only one in that bracket is Proctor.
Alabama’s left tackle is a massive human being at 6’7″, 352 lbs. He has all the expected traits that go with it, from long arms to overwhelming power, both in the run game and anchoring in pass protection. Yet what has surprised evaluators is how good an athlete he is. Since 1999, there have been six tackles drafted who weighed 350 lbs or more. Only one of them had a faster 40-yard dash time than Proctor’s 5.21 at the scouting combine. While not a ballerina, he moves well for his size.
| Player | Draft Year | Weight (lbs) | 40-Yard Dash |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mekhi Becton | 2020 | 364 | 5.10s |
| Kadyn Proctor | 2026 | 352 | 5.21s |
| Trent Brown | 2015 | 355 | 5.29s |
| Mike Williams | 2002 | 375 | 5.30s |
| Aaron Gibson | 1999 | 386 | 5.35s |
| Daniel Faalele | 2022 | 384 | 5.60s |
| Herman Johnson | 2009 | 364 | 5.63s |
Don’t forget what we already know.
Head coach Ben Johnson showed last year that he is a proponent of size at the offensive tackle position. The Bears drafted the 6’8″, 316 lbs Ozzy Trapilo in the 2nd round last year. He also coached the 6’5″, 331 lbs Penei Sewell in Detroit. It isn’t a stretch to think Johnson likes big offensive tackles who still move well. They are almost always a major asset in the running game, which we know is this team’s identity. Proctor was fine-to-good in pass protection against SEC competition throughout his time at Alabama.
The obvious question is, will he be there at #25? There is a growing belief he will not. Offensive tackle is a thin position in this year’s draft, but the demand for them remains as high as ever. It is hard to imagine several teams picking ahead of Chicago that need one will pass on Proctor, even if they have reservations about his weight. Still, Ryan Poles is wise to keep that option open, and no doubt spent his time at the Alabama pro day getting a look at far more plausible targets.