Ben Johnson is not Matt Eberflus. That was the whole reason he was hired as the new Chicago Bears head coach. It means his preferences for what types of players he wants on the roster are different from his predecessor’s. Eberflus maintained that he liked players who were big, fast, and disciplined in their approach. There is nothing wrong with that. Johnson, though, seems to take a more cerebral approach to things. He is less focused on a prospect’s athletic ability and more on his mental acuity for the game.
Three key traits are necessary:
- Physical
- Fundamentally sound
- Poised
They must be willing to play a violent style of football, understand their assignments, or learn them and show up in big games. This speaks to a coach who understands the baseline truth of football. Teams that are more physical, smarter, and elevate their play against the best tend to win the most. With these parameters in mind, I looked into the 2025 draft class to see which players might fit Chicago’s new parameters.
Ben Johnson points to plenty of options for the Bears.
Quinshon Judkins (RB, Ohio State)
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Treyveon Henderson gets all the love but the Buckeyes were paced by Judkins. His bruising style of running was a constant issue for defenses to deal with. Never was that clearer than the national championship game, where he racked up 100 rushing yards, 21 receiving yards, and three touchdowns against the #11 defense in the country. That overshadows the two touchdowns he had the week before against Texas.
Colston Loveland (TE, Michigan)
Despite being best known for his pass-catching ability, he was an unselfish player in Michigan’s run-oriented offense. That didn’t stop him from stepping up in vital games. He had 88 yards against Ohio State in 2023, helping clinch a vital win. Then had 64 yards on three catches in the national championship against Washington. Every time his team called on him, he answered the bell.
Tyler Booker (OG, Alabama)
It is difficult to measure the impact of offensive linemen because they don’t have stats. However, draft experts insist up and down that Booker is one of the most physical and technically proficient guards in this class. Having played for Alabama over the past three years, he was part of plenty of big games, including a Sugar Bowl win over Kansas State and an SEC Championship win over eventual national champion Georgia. Ben Johnson would love him.
Mykel Williams (EDGE, Georgia)
Speaking of Georgia. Williams never had outlandish stats during his time with the Bulldogs, but he always seemed to save his best performances for the national stage. He had a sack and a tackle for loss in the national championship against TCU and then two sacks and two tackles for a loss in the SEC championship against Texas. Physicality isn’t an issue. Most agree he just needs more refinement.
Derrick Harmon (DT, Oregon)
A big, long defensive tackle known for eating double teams for the Ducks defense. Moving him is always a chore, and he got a lot better at penetrating gaps as an interior pass rusher. He showed his excellence in big games with a sack and a tackle for loss in the Big Ten Championship and two tackles for a loss against Ohio State in the college football playoffs.
Andrew Mukuba (S, Texas)
Mukuba never got enough appreciation for his work at Clemson, so he transferred to Texas. In his first year, he leads the team with five interceptions. That included a big one in the playoff win over Arizona State. Don’t be fooled, though. He isn’t a one-trick pony. Mukuba will just as willingly drop down into the box to deliver hits and hard tackles at the line of scrimmage.
Did a little number check. If the Bears wanted to trade down in the 1st and get an additional second, per the points on the Rich Hill chart, a fair trade would be to trade with the Steelers, offering 1.10 (369) in exchange for 1.21 (261) and 2.52 (109) for a total return of (370). Don’t know if I’d want to drop down that far, although it puts a whole different group of players the Bears could use near the top of the board. Another 1-2 would be with the Falcons, giving up 1.10 (369) and 3.72 (67), and getting… Read more »
Tyler Warren and Tyler Booker are probably my top two realistic targets at ten followed by Josh Conerly. Currently. I don’t think Will Campbell falls, but he’d probably be my number one. Trading back is the priority, but it takes two. Derrick Harmon impressed, and the early comp to Nick Emmanwori just might be Derwin James, I’d be thrilled with either of them if we can move down in the first. I sincerely hope they don’t move off of either of their second round picks, there will just be good options at some combination of OG/DT/DE in that range that… Read more »