Ozzy Trapilo, Colston Loveland, Bears NFL draft class making an impact

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Ozzy Trapilo got eliminated from the training camp position battle to be Bears left tackle relatively early. The team moved him back to the right side, where he was more comfortable and more effective.

Life was coming at the second-round rookie fast, and the Bears chose to take some pressure off, narrow his focus and continue his development. There wasn’t lost confidence in the Boston College product. It just wasn’t his time.

That left tackle gig was eventually won by Braxton Jones, who held for a while before getting benched for Theo Benedet in Week 4. Benedet was unavailable for Sunday’s game versus Pittsburgh with a quadriceps injury and Jones remains on injured reserve.

The Bears called on Trapilo, a swing tackle often used as an extra lineman. On Sunday against productive-as-heck Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig, Trapilo would make his first NFL start.

“I was a little bit nervous at the start of the game, but that wipes away as soon as the first play was done,” Trapilo said in a one-on-one with Marquee Sports Network’s Jeff Joniak. “It was good to be out there and contribute to a win.”

[WATCH: Ozzy Trapilo says making first NFL start “really cool’ only on the Watch Marquee app]

Not an ideal situation, but Trapilo handled it extremely well. He played 65 offensive snaps and allowed just one quarterback pressure in the 31-28 victory over Pittsburgh. Head coach Ben Johnson schemed up some help for him in pass protection and runs didn’t come his way, but that shouldn’t discount an admirable and efficient game from the No. 56 overall NFL draft pick.

“Credit to Ozzy for stepping up and having not played a lot of ball yet this year,” Johnson said. “He played a really solid game for us.

“…You know, he didn’t miss a beat there. Communication was really good between him and Joe. You know, I think he did a nice job whenever he had help on his side of being slow to drag out. And so he was helping out, being firm to the inside while allowing the guys outside of them do their job. So just the full understanding of the game plan and what we’re trying to get done. It’s a great start for him to build on.”

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Trapilo provided a solid contribution from a member of the team’s rookie class. The Bears got a number of them in fact. First-round tight end Colston Loveland had four catches for 49 yards and a touchdown. Second-round receiver Luther Burden III had three catches for 46 yards. Seventh-round running back Kyle Monangai had 12 carries for 48 yards and a score.

Even sixth-round guard Luke Newman got in on the act, playing 20 snaps without incident when Jonah Jackson was out temporarily with an eye issue. He also played some fullback. Fourth-round linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II was set to start and play every defensive snap on the weak side before suffering a shoulder injury.

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You’d expect Loveland to make an instant impact. That’s fair for a top 10 pick, and the Michigan product is proving worthy of the targets received on critical downs. Burden’s snap count has gone way up the past two weeks and Monangai has become a mainstay in the run game. It’s these other, more tangential contributions that stand out, as young players are able to step in and contribute when called up.

Getting pick-me-ups from the entire class has been beneficial to this Bears team as they deal with injuries and the attrition from an NFL season. Those are positive signs and experiences for the young players to get as they grow and develop and compete for larger roles in future seasons.

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