{"id":734192,"date":"2026-02-06T20:27:20","date_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:27:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/734192\/"},"modified":"2026-02-06T20:27:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T20:27:20","slug":"5-left-tackles-to-save-calebs-blindside","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/734192\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Left Tackles to Save Caleb\u2019s Blindside"},"content":{"rendered":"

We won a playoff game. We beat the Packers twice. Life should be good.<\/p>\n

But we can\u2019t have nice things without a little pain, right? Watching rookie left tackle Ozzy Trapilo go down with a torn patellar tendon in the playoffs was a punch to the gut. That\u2019s not a \u201crub some dirt on it\u201d injury. That\u2019s a \u201csee you in 2027\u201d injury.<\/p>\n

So here we are. The interior line is set \u2014 Thuney, Dalman, Jackson, and Darnell Wright holding down the right side are a brick wall. But the most important spot on the line? The guy watching Caleb Williams\u2019 back? It\u2019s wide open.<\/p>\n

We are picking at No. 25. We don\u2019t have the luxury of waiting. We need a guy who can slide his feet, punch a defensive end in the mouth, and keep our franchise quarterback from ending up on a highlight reel for the wrong reasons.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd25 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel<\/a> to hear Chicago legends tell stories you\u2019ve never seen in headlines \u2014 real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve combed through the tape on the top 5 left tackle prospects. Some are pipe dreams, some are projects, and one feels like he was made in a lab for this specific offense.<\/p>\n

Here is the no-BS breakdown of the top left tackle prospects for the Bears in 2026.<\/p>\n

1. Francis Mauigoa (Miami) \u2013 The \u201cIf He Falls, We Sprint\u201d Dream\"\"Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Miami Hurricanes offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa (61) against the Indiana Hoosiers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Vitals: 6\u20196\u2033 | 335 lbs | Junior<\/p>\n

The Vibe: A road grader with a mean streak.<\/p>\n

Francis Mauigoa is a bad man. He played right tackle at Miami and didn\u2019t give up a single sack in the College Football Playoffs. He\u2019s 335 pounds of \u201cget out of my way.\u201d He has heavy hands, anchors like a ship, and finishes blocks like he\u2019s personally offended by the defender\u2019s existence.<\/p>\n

Why He Fits: He\u2019s a tone-setter. Ryan Poles loves violence upfront, and Mauigoa brings it. While he played right tackle, he has the feet to play left, or worst case, he\u2019s an All-Pro guard.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBut\u2026\u201d: He\u2019s not making it to 25. He\u2019s a Top-15 lock. Also, some scouts think his arms are too short for tackle and view him as a guard. But honestly? If he\u2019s there, you take him and figure it out later.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: The Pipe Dream. If he starts sliding because of the \u201cguard\u201d talk, you move up. But don\u2019t hold your breath.<\/p>\n

2. Spencer Fano (Utah) \u2013 The \u201cDancing Bear\u201d\"\"Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) and Utah Utes offensive lineman Michael Mokofisi (52) wait for the play during the third quarter of the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Vitals: 6\u20196\u2033 | 308 lbs | Junior<\/p>\n

The Vibe: An oversized tight end playing tackle.<\/p>\n

Spencer Fano moves differently. He\u2019s 308 pounds but glides like he\u2019s 260. He\u2019s the consensus OT2 because his feet are elite. He mirrors speed rushers effortlessly. In a zone scheme (which we love), he is the prototype.<\/p>\n

Why He Fits: He\u2019s the best athlete in the class. He can reach block, pull, and get to the second level before the linebacker knows the ball is snapped.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBut\u2026\u201d: He\u2019s lean. Power rushers can bully him a bit. He needs to spend a year eating nothing but deep dish and lifting heavy things. And like Mauigoa, he\u2019s probably gone in the Top 15.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Unobtainable. He\u2019s too athletic to fall to 25.<\/p>\n

3. Caleb Lomu (Utah) \u2013 The \u201cPerfect Fit\u201d Target\"\"Oct 11, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) celebrates scoring a touchdown against the Arizona State Sun Devils with Utah Utes offensive lineman Caleb Lomu (71) during the second quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Vitals: 6\u20196\u2033 | 308 lbs | Redshirt Sophomore<\/p>\n

The Vibe: The technician who makes it look easy.<\/p>\n

This is the guy. Circle his name. Tattoo it on your arm. Caleb Lomu took Spencer Fano\u2019s job at left tackle at Utah and didn\u2019t allow a sack all year. He is the \u201cmost natural left tackle\u201d in the draft.<\/p>\n

Why He Fits: He is tailor-made for Ben Johnson\u2019s offense. He has the elite kick-slide to handle speed, the balance to handle power, and the zone-blocking chops to open lanes for the run game. He\u2019s young, he\u2019s athletic, and he\u2019s actually projected to be available at 25.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBut\u2026\u201d: He\u2019s not a \u201cpeople mover\u201d in the run game yet. He\u2019s more of a \u201cget in the way and seal you off\u201d guy than a \u201cdrive you into the parking lot\u201d guy. He needs to get stronger.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: The Pick. If he is there at 25, this is the easiest decision of Ryan Poles\u2019 life. He fills the biggest need with a guy who fits the scheme perfectly.<\/p>\n

4. Kadyn Proctor (Alabama) \u2013 The \u201cMountain\u201d Gamble\"\"Oct 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor (74) plays in their game with the Missouri Tigers at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Vitals: 6\u20197\u2033 | 369 lbs | Junior<\/p>\n

The Vibe: A eclipse of the sun in shoulder pads.<\/p>\n

Kadyn Proctor is massive. 6\u20197\u2033, 369 pounds. He\u2019s the biggest human in the draft. When he gets his hands on you, the rep is over. He has rare power and length.<\/p>\n

Why He Fits: You can\u2019t teach 369 pounds. If he puts it all together, he\u2019s Trent Williams. He can anchor against a bull rush better than anyone because, well, physics.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBut\u2026\u201d: He\u2019s messy. He plays upright, he dips his head, and speed rushers can make him look like he\u2019s running in quicksand. He\u2019s a \u201cboom or bust\u201d prospect. Do we trust our O-line coach to fix his technique while Caleb Williams\u2019 life hangs in the balance?<\/p>\n

The Verdict: High Risk, High Reward. If Lomu is gone, Proctor is a fascinating swing. But be prepared for some ugly reps early on.<\/p>\n

5. Caleb Tiernan (Northwestern) \u2013 The \u201cStay Local\u201d Safety Valve\"\"Nov 23, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Northwestern Wildcats offensive lineman Caleb Tiernan (72) blocks Michigan Wolverines defensive end Tyler McLaurin (27) in the second half at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

The Vitals: 6\u20197\u2033 | 325 lbs | Senior<\/p>\n

The Vibe: The reliable veteran who just does his job.<\/p>\n

Caleb Tiernan has been starting at Northwestern forever. He\u2019s experienced, versatile (can play Guard or Tackle), and tough. He\u2019s not going to wow you with athleticism, but he won\u2019t get embarrassed.<\/p>\n

Why He Fits: He\u2019s depth. He\u2019s competition. If we miss out on the top guys in Round 1, Tiernan is the guy you target on Day 2 to come in and compete.<\/p>\n

The \u201cBut\u2026\u201d: He\u2019s an average athlete. He\u2019s likely a guard at the next level. He\u2019s not a franchise Left Tackle.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Round 3 Target. Good depth piece, but if he\u2019s your starting Left Tackle Week 1, you\u2019re nervous.<\/p>\n

Visualizing the Tackle Board\"\"Final Verdict<\/p>\n

Here is the reality: We need a starter. Ozzy Trapilo isn\u2019t walking through that door anytime soon.<\/p>\n

The Target: Caleb Lomu. He is the best scheme fit and the most likely to be there at 25. He stabilizes the line instantly.The Swing: Kadyn Proctor. If you want to bet on traits, he\u2019s the guy. But it\u2019s scary.The Fallback: If the tackles fly off the board, you take the best defender available and grab Tiernan or another developmental guy on Day 2, then pray a veteran cut becomes available.<\/p>\n

Ryan Poles has built a bully. Now he needs to protect the quarterback. Caleb Lomu is the answer.<\/p>\n

Bear Down.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"We won a playoff game. We beat the Packers twice. Life should be good. But we can\u2019t have…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":734193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[391,7,49,48,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-734192","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-chicago-bears","9":"tag-football","10":"tag-ncaa","11":"tag-ncaa-football","12":"tag-nfl-draft"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116025573055109558","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=734192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/734192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/734193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=734192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=734192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=734192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}