The Bears Seem Obsessed With Keylan Rutledge — Here’s Why
The Chicago Bears don’t seem content with their offensive line as is. That isn’t a surprise after they lost two key players over the last few months. Ozzy Trapilo tore his patellar tendon in the playoff win over Green Bay, likely forcing him to miss all of next season. Then, center Drew Dalman abruptly retired at the age of 27. This forced the team to pivot. They traded for veteran center Garrett Bradbury from New England while signing Braxton Jones and Jedrick Wills to compete at left tackle. Yet based on mounting evidence, they have every intention of drafting more help. Enter Keylan Rutledge.
Georgia Tech isn’t always a hotbed of NFL talent, but it has moments. One name that is building a strong groundswell of support is Rutledge, their starting guard. Not only is he a great athlete for his position, but he’s built a reputation for power and nastiness. That falls right in line with what head coach Ben Johnson wants. It would explain why all of the Bears’ offensive line experts were present at the Georgia Tech pro day, working almost exclusively with Rutledge throughout the action, according to Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports.
The Denver Broncos had Zach Strief and Cam Williams on hand, and the Chicago Bears had offensive line coaches Dan Roushar and Kyle DeVan in attendance, as well as Director of Player Personnel Trey Koziol. The Dallas Cowboys sent a three-person contingent to the workout, including quarterbacks coach Steve Shimko…
…Fast-rising lineman Keylan Rutledge had a terrific day. He was smooth and fluid and moved incredibly well in drills. Rutledge displayed terrific footwork in bag and pass-protection drills. Several teams requested Rutledge, who played guard for Georgia Tech, to work at center. When he did, his snaps were accurate and looked natural.
I can confirm the Chicago Bears were one of the teams that asked Rutledge to work at center. If you remember my report earlier this week from Kansas State pro day, I mentioned the Bears were on hand specifically for center Sam Hecht, as Dan Roushar, Kyle DeVan, and Trey Koziol were also at that workout.
Keylan Rutledge would give the Bears loads of options.
His work at guard provides much-needed depth behind Jonah Jackson, who has an iffy injury history, and Joe Thuney, who turns 34 in November. Yet it sounds like they view him as a real option at center, which makes sense given that Bradbury is under contract for only one more year. Such uncertainty on the interior makes drafting some depth that can eventually start an easy sell. The interesting part is who was sent to evaluate him. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar was an obvious presence. The bigger surprise was the co-director of player personnel, Trey Koziol.
It seems as if he’s been designated as the Bears’ offensive line specialist based on recent visits. He was credited as the primary voice in drafting Trapilo last year. Koziol was promoted to become a Kansas City Chiefs scouting director the same year they drafted Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith. Then, after coming to Chicago, the Bears found Braxton Jones in 2022 and nailed Darnell Wright in 2023. If he had a primary voice in those selections, it makes sense they’d send him to get a close look at Kaylan Rutledge.
The interest becomes even clearer when seeing pro comparisons.
One name that has come up frequently in evaluations of Keylan Rutledge is Christian Mahogany. He was a 6th round pick for the Detroit Lions in 2024 and became their starting left guard last season. His reputation was one of power, mobility, and violence. The Lions’ offensive coordinator that year was, of course, Ben Johnson. He would’ve had a strong voice in that draft, meaning he liked Mahogany a lot. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Bears are paying close attention to Rutledge.
The only unanswered question is where he’ll be drafted and what position the team wants him to play. Most experts have him going somewhere in the 3rd round range. The Bears hold the 89th overall pick. That might be the spot to watch. Based on the current makeup of their line, it feels like the team might look to groom him as their center of the future. Let Bradbury play the 2026 season as a stable starter while Rutledge takes a year to learn the position. Then in 2027, he gets the job.