Fans and local media have their theories about what the Chicago Bears are planning for the upcoming draft. GM Ryan Poles has never tried to do anything overly creative in the 1st round. All three of his picks were at relatively expected positions. He grabbed a tackle in 2023 with Darnell Wright, then a quarterback and wide receiver last year. All were at positions of clear need. Will that trend hold in 2025? Nobody can say with the arrival of a new coaching staff.
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune decided to contact various NFL executives to get their assessments. All of them seem to agree on one overarching reality: Ben Johnson will want to run the football. For that, the Bears will need significant upgrades to their offensive line. It would surprise them if Chicago went any other direction in the 1st round.
While other areas may need help, the blocking up front is priority #1.
“It’s got to be the O-line,” said a player personnel director for another team. “It has to start there. They’ve got the two wide receivers. They have got to get the run game going. They’re going to draft a running back to complement D’Andre Swift and they’ve got to fix the O-line. They’ve got to run the hell out of the ball, play action, and then get into Ben Johnson’s stuff.”
“They’ve got to get the run game going,” a GM said. “That was Detroit’s secret sauce. They had (David) Montgomery and (Jahmyr) Gibbs and the run game was really good. Ben does a really nice job with protections and getting them answers. It will be a vast improvement.”
“If they’re going to achieve Ben’s vision, how that offense was in Detroit, they’ve got to add a physical aspect and component that has been missing in Chicago,” a pro personnel director said. “You’re asking about the quarterback, but the Bears didn’t have an identity and they need to fix that O-line if they want to make anything work.”
The Chicago Bears appear to have some great options.
As is often the case, it depends on whether they will be available. Following the scouting combine this past week, the general consensus is that two offensive linemen have cemented their places as probable top-10 picks. One is LSU tackle Will Campbell, and the other is Missouri tackle Armand Membou. Both had excellent combine performances, which only enhances the great game tape they’ve put up over the past two years. Most experts see them as possible tackles who, at worst, can shift inside to become Pro Bowl-caliber guards.
The problem for the Chicago Bears is that other teams in the top 10 also need offensive line help. New England (#4), Jacksonville (#5), and New Orleans (#9) stand out as the biggest possibilities. If Campbell and Membou are gone by the time Chicago goes on the clock at #10, it presents a significant dilemma for Poles. Does he gamble on one of the other tackles like Kelvin Banks of Texas or Josh Simmons of Ohio State? Does he opt for one of the pure guards like Tyler Booker or Donovan Jackson despite both not being considered top 10 prospects? Or does he pivot to another position, such as defensive line or even running back?
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Based on the buzz about Chicago prepping a strong push to sign offensive line help in free agency, it appears they are preparing for that exact scenario.
@Hate 30 his IQ: “Do any…” not “Does…” Get smarter!
Cunninham providing the Bears a draft pick would have been the equivalent to a 4th round pick, not your fabled 3rd round pick in name only. Get real!
We can all speculate based on the Bears’ obvious needs in the trenches but when the first nine draft choices are made who will be left for them at number ten? The decision then needs to be made based on the best player available or the best player for the positions they need to fill. I don’t think they should choose someone who could be available later in the draft just to fill a need. So, when their choice is on the clock maybe it will be best to trade back in the draft and pick up additional draft choices.… Read more »
Trade down and grab the Alabama guard. He is the most sure thing in the draft OL wise, and is nasty at the point of attack.
RB Jeanty will score more TDs than RB Swift. Still, 1st DE,
2nd DT, 2nd IOL, 3rd IOL. (25x)
What the Bears do in free agency pretty well sets up what they can do in the draft. This draft is another that the Bears have advantage, they need to capitalize because unless Ian becomes an GM the Bears will be back picking like the rest of the teams. I feel more comfortable with the people analyzing the talent this year. If you look back at the people last year that might have had input, it leaves you with Eberflus, Waldron etc. in mind. That leaves me shaking my head.