Trapilo and Burden on what they bring to the Bears |
Ariana Pensy
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- 24 hours ago
CHICAGO - Despite all of the changes to the offensive line the Bears made in the offseason, they still felt it was important to spend one of their second-round picks on an offensive lineman.
After trading down to give them a total of three second-round selections, the Chicago Bears selected offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo out of Boston College with the No. 56 overall pick. “I’m a competitor. Every day, show up and compete. Coming into a new program, my main goal now is to just get on the field as soon as possible,” Trapilo said. “Well-rounded, disciplined player. Going to play hard, play tough, but also play smart and under control. Don’t let emotions get the best of me, try and stay in the moment at all times, very focused and very disciplined.” Last season, Trapilo was not penalized, highlighting his dedication to being a disciplined player. He also worked in the offseason on playing all positions on the offensive line, with the exception of center, to increase his versatility, as he primarily had success at right tackle during his collegiate years. “That’s something I take a lot of pride in. I try to make my whole play style very disciplined overall. So, the entirety of my game I like to think is discipline. That’s what I pride myself on. So, that goes the same thing with penalties and I think practice, just working hard, really being locked in at all times is kind of the reason for that and that’s just what I try to do throughout the entire game,” Trapilo said. “Going to this level especially, you want to be as versatile as possible. So, I’ve done a ton of work at all positions except center. So, I would just be ready to fill wherever is needed. That’s the main goal, right? Get on the field as soon as possible. So, that’s kind of how I’ve focused my training these past few months and I think I’ve done a good job with that, so I wouldn’t have a preference at the moment.” At 6 foot 8 and 316 pounds, some have questioned Trapilo’s athleticism. However, even if he is not the heaviest player or the tallest player on the field, he will not be outworked as he is incredibly dedicated to his craft. That work and dedication is what got him to the NFL. “I think I do a good job footwork-wise, hand placement, those athletic traits. I think I’m pretty well-rounded as a player and that’s something that I really work on,” Trapilo said. “Being taller, it doesn’t all come naturally to me. But, putting in the work, day in, day out I think has really helped elevate my game to be well-rounded.”
Trapilo was not the only offensive player the Bears selected in the second round. With the No. 39 overall selection, their last pick from the blockbuster trade with the Carolina Panthers back in 2023 for that year’s first overall selection, Chicago chose wide receiver Luther Burden III out of Missouri.
While Burden III seemed rather dismayed at being selected in the second round as opposed to the first, he is coming into the Bears with the mindset of proving everyone wrong who passed on him.
“I’ll be able to take some attention off them when they get doubled. So, I feel like I fit perfect in that offense,” Burden III said. “I got to learn the playbook and take it day by day and just be me, do what I’ve been doing my whole life, proving everybody wrong. That’s my mindset.”
Burden III’s strongest season was in 2023 when he was a Second-Team All-American after finishing the season with 1,212 receiving yards and nine receiving touchdowns. While his production dropped in 2024 with 676 receiving yards, he was still a First-Team All-SEC member and led the team in receptions for the second straight season.
Both Burden III and Trapilo are good additions for the Bears to build depth and increase competitiveness this offseason and in training camp.
