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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 1: Jager Burton #OL10 of Kentucky participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As the Chicago Bears continue their pre-draft process, one of our favorite things to do is track which players the Bears have talked to and when. In particular, we’re in the phase where prospects come to town for “top-30” visits teams can set up with a select few prospects, which conventionally suggests you have more interest in that player than others.
But Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar suggests that, in fact, the opposite might be true during a recent podcast interview.
In particular, Roushar hinted that those additional visits to Halas Hall were, at least last year, for prospects the Bears thought had more outstanding questions than others.
“The more concerns there are, the less clean they are, the more work you have to do after the process. Bringing them to campus for what you call “30” visits…to do more legwork. And then a process like this, where you’re on Zoom—“Hey, how much more can we gather?”
The end result of that approach: none of the players the Bears had in for top-30 visits last year were drafted or signed by the team.
That’s an interesting admission that might seem somewhat counterintuitive. After all, when most of us are interviewing for jobs, having more interviews and opportunities to talk with a potential employer generally makes us feel better about our chances. And that hasn’t always been the case for the Bears. For example, Darnell Wright arguably won the Chicago Bears over with his top-30 visit back in 2023, where Ryan Poles and the Bears’ coaching staff put him through his paces in a grueling workout before they took him No. 10 overall that year.
That said, when you think about how much information these guys tend to have on players, whether from scouts or having already met with them at places like the Shrine Bowl, Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and Pro Day workouts, one could see where a top-30 visit might not be necessary for a guy you know you want.
Which leads you to what you might be wondering: which players have made those visits to the Bears so far?
A few names that are confirmed include Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder, Ole Miss receiver De’Zhaun Stribling, Kentucky center Jager Burton, and Kentucky running back Seth McGowan. Whether because of injury issues (Stribling and Burton), inexperience (Rolder), or off-the-field problems (McGowan), each has clear yellow/red flags the Bears might want to investigate further.
The most interesting thing to watch now might be which of your favorite prospects they’re not meeting with anymore outside of the events previously discussed.
Of course, there’s no guarantee last year’s approach will be the same as this year’s. That said, it’s hard to argue with the results—or most of the players the Bears passed on. So don’t expect it to change in 2026.
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