Bears NFL Draft Trade Options: Could Ryan Poles lay the foundation to land a star or maneuver around the draft board at the 2025 Combine?
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Monday and while it's a major event for the top prospects entering the league looking to separate themselves amongst their peers, it's also a sneaky opportunity for general managers and executives to mingle.What I mean by that is, the NFL Combine is always a perfect opportunity to […]
The 2025 NFL Scouting Combine kicks off on Monday and while it's a major event for the top prospects entering the league looking to separate themselves amongst their peers, it's also a sneaky opportunity for general managers and executives to mingle.
What I mean by that is, the NFL Combine is always a perfect opportunity to begin throwing out feelers for potential trade options, whether that means moving draft picks around the board or landing top level stars.
For the Chicago Bears, general manager Ryan Poles has constructed the roster to move in any potential direction, especially given the team's current slate of draft picks and salary cap space, which makes for an exciting week.
Around this time last year, between the Combine and the 2024 NFL Draft, we saw the Bears make trades to land wide receiver Keenan Allen and offensive lineman Ryan Bates, and then make another move during the draft to select defensive end Austin Booker.
The year before that, Poles ironed out the massive trade with the Carolina Panthers not long after the combine that allowed Chicago to land wide receiver DJ Moore and eventually draft quarterback Caleb Williams first overall in 2024.
Therefore, expect anything with this team. And this is the week some of these deals start getting discussed with other teams around the league. With that being said, here are some of the trade options for the Bears.
Trade For An Impact Player
I mention this first not because I believe the Bears will follow through with this, but because we could see a lot of top-level players on the move before free agency.
Disgruntled pass rushers especially have been making a lot of noise this offseason, and after releasing DeMarcus Walker, the Bears are primed to make a splash at the position to pair Montez Sweat with another alpha player.
Some top trade options include Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Trey Hendrickson, and Micah Parsons. Certainly it will cost Chicago a ton in terms of draft pick compensation and agreeing to the eventual contract with any of these players.
But, both Poles and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen have publicly mentioned adding to the position this offseason. Could that be by landing one of these top guys? Who knows. But those conversations can start happening this week.
Another trade option to consider for the Bears would be acquiring wide receiver Christian Kirk, given his current contract structure and uncertain future in Jacksonville.
Trade Down
On the opening night of the draft, the Bears are currently slated to pick 10th overall. Prime spot to land a blue-chip prospect and the team will have seven more picks remaining in the draft, including three more in the Top-75.
Trading down might not be the best route for this team this time around, but Poles did trade one spot back from the ninth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, allowing the Eagles to move up in exchange for a 2024 fourth-round selection.
Depending on how the board works itself out in the Top-10, Poles could answer the phones if another team is dying to move up while still being able to land a quality player in the trenches in the first-round.
Trade Up
As previously stated, the Bears have multiple top selections in the first 75 picks. Therefore, don't rule out bundling some of those picks to move up, and I don't mean from the 10th overall pick.
Ian Valentino from the 33rd Team, who also assists with us at A to Z Sports, suggested the Bears could work out a logical trade to move into the backend of the first-round by packaging one of the team's two second-round selections.
Valentino's proposal had the Bears sending the 39th and 72nd overall pick to the Houston Texans in exchange for the 25th overall pick. Such a move is entirely possible if the Bears have their sights set on a prospect and fear said player might not make it out of the first-round.
Needless to say, anything could be on the table for Ryan Poles in terms of making some kind of trade before now and April, and the foundations of those deals can start being constructed this week at the NFL Combine.
Latest roster decision has the Bears primed to double down on fixing key problem via free agency and a loaded 2025 NFL Draft class
Expect to see some big moves on the defensive front.
