Chicago Bears Dropping Clear Hints? These Unmet Prospects May Be Their Real Targets
Last year, the Chicago Bears met with several players at the scouting combine and during top-30 visits. It was the usual process for every team. However, something strange about it stood out. None of the names that reached the public ear ended up being drafted by the team. Colston Loveland, Luther Burden, Ozzy Trapilo, and the others went unmentioned. It was hard to believe that it was coincidental. Sure enough, offensive line coach Dan Roushar revealed the team had started using visits more for gathering information on players they had questions or concerns about.
In other words, if a player’s name popped up for a meeting, it meant the Bears were skeptical about them. That is why it isn’t wise to read much into the list of names they’ve brought in for visits to Halas Hall or even met formally at the scouting combine. Perhaps the smart thing to do is dig through the debris to find the names they haven’t met. Five in particular jumped out as curious omissions.
These five names have oddly not met the Chicago Bears.
Keldric Faulk (EDGE, Auburn)
The Bears have met with or attended the pro days of several prominent edge rushers over the past several weeks. They met with Zion Young twice, T.J. Parker, Cashius Howell, and Akheem Mesidor at the scouting combine. Faulk has not been mentioned at all. No combine meeting and no scheduled top 30 visit. This is baffling since most agree the Auburn standout is the most natural fit for Dennis Allen’s system. He’s 6’6″, 276 lbs, has 34-inch arms, and is already a great run defender. He’s shown flashes of pass rush potential despite only being 20 years old. Many see him as having the highest upside of any edge rusher in the 1st round, but he’s still a project. One would think Chicago would at least be interested. The silence is deafening.
Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
If you’ve been paying attention to every mock draft in the past month, you’ll likely see Woods’ name connected to the Bears in half of them. So it might shock you to learn that there are no reports of the team meeting with the Tigers standout, be it during the combine, his pro day, or a private visit. Complete radio silence. Many feel Woods is the most natural three-technique in the entire draft, having the right mix of upper-body strength and lower-body explosiveness to collapse pockets up the middle. The problem was that it didn’t appear much in his production. He feels like a projection more than a proven commodity. Yet the fit to Allen’s system is obvious. Besides, he’s no stranger to Clemson defensive tackles, as Bryan Bresee can attest.
A.J. Haulcy (S, LSU)
Losing Kevin Byard was tough for the Chicago Bears. His ability to patrol the back end and make big plays was incredibly valuable. Sadly, the team felt his lack of run-defending ability, and his advancing age made bringing him back difficult. That is where Haulcy comes in. He has a supernatural instinct for finding the football, snagging eight interceptions between 2024 and 2025. What sets him apart is that he can deliver some bone-rattling shots on ball carriers. The Bears have met with every other top safety prospect, including Dillon Thieneman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Jalon Kilgore. No mention at all of Haulcy. It might be wise to file that one away for later.
Caleb Lomu (OT, Utah)
The Bears have been mentioned in close proximity to some of the top left tackles in this class. They were at Alabama’s pro day to watch Kadyn Proctor and have met privately with Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor. The only one they have had zero known contact with is Lomu, which is surprising. After all, head coach Ben Johnson prefers athletic tackles who are technically proficient, as we saw with Ozzy Trapilo last year. Lomu checks both boxes, having two years of starting experience at Utah. His primary issue is building up his strength base, which is underdeveloped. That doesn’t sound like something that would scare the Bears away, which makes the communication blackout all the more interesting.
Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
Wide receiver was not even a consideration for the Chicago Bears going into this offseason. That changed quickly after the team traded D.J. Moore to Buffalo, and led Olamide Zaccheaus to walk in free agency. Kalif Raymond replaces the latter, but they still have a notable void where Moore stood. While a 1st round wide receiver feels unlikely, it’s interesting the Bears haven’t at least met with Jordyn Tyson. The ASU playmaker has everything this staff loves: route-running, run-blocking, toughness, grit, and a knack for elevating his play in big games. He’d be a top 10 lock if not for some injury problems in college. There is a risk involved, but he’s such a perfect fit for what they do.