Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles' latest Pro Day stop reached Ohio State where an intriguing prospect answered a major burning question
We are in the heart of the Pro Day circuits with less than a month remaining until the 2025 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears are staying busy.Last week, head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen led a group that attended the Michigan Pro Day up in Ann Arbor. On Tuesday, general manager […]
We are in the heart of the Pro Day circuits with less than a month remaining until the 2025 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears are staying busy.
Last week, head coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen led a group that attended the Michigan Pro Day up in Ann Arbor. On Tuesday, general manager Ryan Poles and running backs coach Eric Bienemy led a group that attended the Texas Pro Day.
On Wednesday, the team sent out the strongest presence yet to Ohio State with Johnson, Poles, Allen, and senior defensive assistant Bill Johnson all in attendance.
Wednesday featured a ton of Pro Days across the country, but the Bears weren't the only team with a heavy presence at Ohio State. Many pointed out that the Bears crew went to the Ohio State event and not the Boise State Pro Day to view top running back Ashton Jeanty, but remember, Jeanty is having a 30 visit with the Bears already.
The Ohio State event was filled with multiple top prospects, not just one, and having such a massive crew in attendance was the right decision.
Speaking of those top prospects, one intriguing target for the Bears in the first-round answered a major burning question on Wednesday.
OT Josh Simmons Shines At Pro Day, 5 Months After Injury
At one time, Josh Simmons, the Buckeyes left tackle, was viewed as the top prospect at his position in the 2025 class. However, a torn patellar tendon suffered in October during the 2024 season put a halt to his momentum coming into the draft.
Simmons was present during the 2025 Combine but obviously did not work out. He did reveal that he planned to "cut loose" in mid-April in front of scouts at a personal Pro Day. Then, on Wednesday, Simmons was able to do a brief workout in front of everyone in attendance, sooner than the expected timeline.
Like I said, it was a brief on-field workout, but it shows a lot about his resilience and how the recovery process is going from such a significant injury. As for the rest of his Pro Day showing, Simmons had 33 reps on bench press, which would have tied him for the most reps recorded at the position had he done that at the 2025 Combine.
The Bears have shown interest in the top left tackle prospects and the 22-year-old is certainly a player to keep an eye on at 10th overall or in a possible trade back scenario, especially after seeing him preform in front of the Bears attendees this week.
Other Notable OSU Prospect Pro Days
OL Donovan Jackson:
Simmons isn't the only Buckeye left tackle the Bears could target. After Simmons went down for the season, LG Donovan Jackson took his place and played really well after making the switch. Given that production and versatility, he's an ideal Day 2 option. He also threw up 32 reps on the bench press, two fewer than Simmons' number. Compared to Simmons, Jackson also measured a longer arm length and wingspan.
RBs Quinshon Judkins & TreVeyon Henderson:
For those hoping to see something out of the top two Ohio State running backs, we didn't get much on Wednesday. Both Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson are expected to be second-round picks. While neither did any agility or speed tests, Judkins did weigh in 17 pounds heavier than Henderson. Henderson meanwhile caught passes from Will Howard and looked strong in that area.
DT Ty Hamilton:
With Dennis Allen and Bill Johnson in attendance, those two were likely dialed in to the defensive line prospects. It was Ty Hamilton who showed the most, taking part in every drill. He one-upped Simmons with 35 reps on bench and ran a 4.95 40-yard-dash time. He looked great and a day like that can boost his stock up team boards.
Other top DL prospects at the Ohio State included DE Jack Sawyer, DT Tyleik Williams, and DT J.T. Tuimoloau.
Four trade down options for the Chicago Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft if they decide to move back from the 10th overall pick
This could open up even more options.
