3 positions Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears should avoid prioritizing in the 2025 NFL Draft
The 2025 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away and we seem to have a good idea about which positions the Chicago Bears plan to attack at the top of the draft.Those positions are in the trenches with more depth needed on the offensive and defensive lines and running back, with head coach Ben […]
The 2025 NFL Draft is less than three weeks away and we seem to have a good idea about which positions the Chicago Bears plan to attack at the top of the draft.
Those positions are in the trenches with more depth needed on the offensive and defensive lines and running back, with head coach Ben Johnson ideally wanting another featured weapon to join the backfield.
Beyond that, how the Bears approach the remaining selections will be interesting to see play out based on the current landscape of the roster. Solid depth is needed all over, but the team and general manager Ryan Poles should avoid prioritizing these three positions specifically.
1) Wide Receiver
The Bears have made some notable additions to the wide receiver room that was already headlined by DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. Olamide Zaccheaus gives the offense a dependable blocker and slot specialist while Devin Duvernay adds key value as a returner with some added speed ability on offense if Johnson plans to use it.
To me, the position looks set with those four being the main guys, especially if Ben Johnson looks to run a lot of 12 personnel (2 TE sets) again in Chicago. Which is why the Bears should avoid adding a wide receiver with one of the top four picks.
If the Bears do add a WR in the draft, it'll be someone who could bring more of a speed factor and downfield ability to the offense, which lines up with three of the guys the Bears have looked into:
Texas Isaiah Bond: 4.39 40-yard-dash
Tulane Dontae Fleming: 4.43 40-yard-dash
Washington State Kyle Williams: 4.40 40-yard-dash
2) Cornerback
Another loaded position for the Bears is at cornerback. The position is top heavy with Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell all returning in 2025.
This is also a lacking draft class in terms of late-round CB prospects compared to year's prior and even though I'm pro-drafting a CB every year for depth purposes, even I would avoid this class outside of the top guys. And given the current room, adding someone like Will Johnson, Benjamin Morrison, or Trey Amos early in draft wouldn't make much sense given the team needs.
This should be a solid position for Chicago as is, and even more so if Dennis Allen gets the most out of Stevenson and Smith on the outside.
3) Linebacker
The same goes for linebacker, although I could see this and safety being positions of need in 2026 that the front office could play smart and address a year in advance. But, again, I wouldn't use top priority picks to do so.
At linebacker, the Bears are set for 2025 with Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Amen Ogbongbemiga returning. The one thing people keep harping on is not finding a replacement for Jack Sanborn in free agency.
Finding a guy to fill that in the draft could make sense, but don't count on someone like Jihaad Campbell or Carson Schwesinger being that guy. I'm keeping my eye out for someone later in the draft to eventually develop like Kain Medrano while seeing what Dennis Allen can do with the linebackers already in-house.
Bears Draft History: Breaking down the success rate of Ryan Poles and his draft decisions through each round since 2022
He’s had some big swings and some bad misses.
