NFL Scouts Reportedly Believe Ozzy Trapilo Is Criminally Underrated

The Chicago Bears generated tons of excitement when they engineered a trade that landed them three picks in the 2nd round. It created a golden opportunity for GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson to find legitimate starters for their roster. It started with wide receiver Luther Burden, someone many felt should've gone in the 1st round. Then it ended with Shemar Turner, a violent and powerful defensive tackle who can morph into a dangerous interior pass rusher. In between them was perhaps the most surprising choice of the draft. Chicago had said they wanted more competition at left tackle. It just arrived from an unexpected direction when they plucked Ozzy Trapilo from Boston College.

At first glance, it was a questionable move. Many experts had Trapilo as a 3rd rounder at best and tiers below the top guys. Then again, he comes from a program known for producing good offensive linemen and was coached by somebody with deep NFL ties in Bill O'Brien. If anybody were prepared to make the transition, it's him. As it turns out, Trapilo has way more fans in the league than you might think. Bob McGinn of Go Long TD spoke to several scouts about him leading up to the draft.

The feedback he got was quite positive.

“He’s not getting enough buzz for what he is,” said one scout. “He’s just mammoth, dense. You’d probably like a little better arm length (33) but he’s technically sound enough so he can compensate for that. He’s a plug-and-play starter. More of a right tackle than a true left tackle. If he failed because of length and maybe he doesn’t have the left tackle feet I think you’ve got a high floor as a guard. Great football character, leader, tone-setter for that program. Above average athlete. Really good body control, great strength, good bend for a guy that’s 6-8. This guy is a ready-made NFL-type prospect.

“I usually don’t like big tall guys because it usually means they’re stiff waist-benders but he’s pretty good,” said a second scout. “Exceptional kid. Did a pretty good job at the Senior Bowl. He’s going to say and do all the right things. You’ll want him in your locker room. It would not surprise me if he slid into the second round because he checks all the boxes and too many other guys are (bleeps) at a position where there aren’t too many (bleeps).”

Ozzy Trapilo is not just another developmental tackle.

This guy started multiple years at Boston College and learned from a staff with NFL experience. He is polished and ready to play at the pro level. Taking him in the 2nd round means the Bears believe he is capable of competing for a starting job right now. Poles said the goal this year is to get the absolute best five blockers on the field together. That means Braxton Jones and Kiran Amegadjie would be wise not to ignore him. Ozzy Trapilo is a good athlete, strong, and a grinder. He will come into training camp ready to compete. It might be a year before he actually starts, but this is not a player drafted for depth purposes. The team believes he has a serious future in the NFL, and it sounds like for good reasons.