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Chicago Bears 2025 offseason upgrades at critical position ranked best in NFL

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI | By Bryan Perez | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 11:08 AM ET

Expectations for the Chicago Bears' 2025 season feel like they're at an all-time high. Coach Ben Johnson and second-year quarterback Caleb Williams are the closest thing to a dream team that modern-day Bears fans have ever experienced, and it's made the run up to the regular season feel very different.

However, it's not just the pairing of Johnson and Williams that has generated so much excitement. It's the rest of GM Ryan Poles' offseason moves that have established a sense of confidence and optimism about what this team can do just one year after finishing 5-12.

Most notably, the upgrades the Bears have made along the offensive line should put Williams and the rest of the offense at least on an even playing field with their opponents. That wasn't the case last year, when Williams was sacked an NFL-high 68 times. It was hard to watch at times, and it led to a massive overhaul along the three starting interior positions.

Poles traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to take over at guard, and he paid up for center Drew Dalman in free agency. The result is an offensive line that has a chance to establish itself as one of the best in the NFC, which is something Bears fans aren't used to saying.

In fact, the Chicago Bears' offensive line upgrades recently ranked as the most improved unit in the NFL this offseason.

Remember: Poles' work didn't stop with the veterans he traded for and signed in free agency. He used the 2025 NFL Draft, too.

The Bears selected Ozzy Trapilo in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He'll compete with incumbent starter Braxton Jones at left tackle. Jones is still on his way back from a fractured ankle he suffered last December and is expected to begin training camp on the PUP list, putting Trapilo in a position to open the season as a rookie starter.

And if that happens, then four of the five starting offensive line spots will have been replaced, and, assuming Trapilo makes god on his scouting report, upgraded.

Caleb Williams will be the biggest beneficiary of the enhanced O-line. The fact he was able to throw for more than 3,500 yards and toss 20 touchdowns behind life-threatening pass protection was a remarkably underrated accomplishment. It's scary to think of what kind of numbers he's capable of producing with a competent group of pass protectors.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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