Bears 2025 NFL Draft Most Likely Predictions: First-round RB, fifth-round trade back, and interest in mid-late round WRs
With draft week officially here and only a few days left until the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off, the media still seems to be split on what the Chicago Bears will do with their seven selections, including four in the Top-75.Positionally, we seem to have a solid idea on where the Bears will attack. The […]
With draft week officially here and only a few days left until the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off, the media still seems to be split on what the Chicago Bears will do with their seven selections, including four in the Top-75.
Positionally, we seem to have a solid idea on where the Bears will attack. The team has done extensive research on the deep RB class while also expressing interest in bolstering the depth on the offensive and defensive line.
It's a great draft to accomplish all three of those goals, but in what order they do so remains to be the question. Here's what I believe the most likely predictions will look like based on everything we've heard and which players the team has shown interest in.
1. Bears draft a RB in the first-round, plus the backup plan
The plan with the 10th overall pick in the first-round appears to be dependent on what will happen with Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty during the first nine selections. The Bears have shown immense interest in the top back and ESPN's Adam Schefter revealed that the team is "praying" Jeanty falls to them at 10.
If not, the team also brought in UNC's Omarion Hampton for a pre-draft visit, another safe bet at RB to go off the board on opening night. If the Bears are content taking a running back that high in the draft, Hampton should also be considered at 10.
As the plan B, the Bears showed some interest in the top offensive tackles in the class, including two expected to fall early in the first-round: Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks.
2. Bears double-dip in the second-round on the DL
As for the two second-round picks, this part of the draft seems like the honey hole to land great value defensive linemen, both off the edge and on the interior. Addressing this area on Day 2 looks to be the likely option for the Bears.
The only first-round option on the defensive line the Bears met with was Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart, which was likely done just to have due diligence on his potential concerns heading into the draft.
The pool of Day 2 defensive line talent, of course, depends on who's actually available. Players such as Kenneth Grant, Derrick Harmon, Nic Scourton, James Pierce, Princely Umanmielen, Omarr Norman-Lott, and Tyleik Williams make a lot of sense in this range and the Bears could use both 39 and 41 to add impact defensive linemen.
3. Ben Johnson adds a mid-late round WR
Based on Ben Johnson's comments, it sounded like the Bears were content with the wide receiver room after adding Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay to the position already featuring DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Tyler Scott. The pre-draft meetings, however, have told a different story.
The Bears have held Top-30 visits with six different wide receiver prospects and met with two other wide receivers during the NFL Scouting Combine. The common theme between all nine players, none are projected in the early rounds, outside of Kyle Williams, who's stock has jumped tremendously over the past few weeks.
Therefore, the Bears are looking into some mid-late round WRs to develop in 2025, which makes sense given Zaccheaus and Duvernay are only on one-year deals. Prospects such as Jaylin Lane and Isaiah Bond make sense as potential fifth-round targets with other prospects potentially being there in the seventh or as UDFAs.
4. Ryan Poles makes another fifth-round trade back
I can fully predict this happening. Since taking over as the Bears general manager, Ryan Poles has traded back on Day 3 four different times to acquire more late-round draft picks. Right now, the Bears currently have the 148th, 233rd, and 240th overall picks on Day 3.
The 148-233 gap is a wide gap between selections due to the Bears not having any sixth-round picks. Moving back from 148 but staying in the fifth while adding a sixth-rounder seems right up Poles' alley based on his prior moves.
Plenty of teams could be willing to make that trade and the Bears can benefit from having a few more selections later in the draft.
ESPN Insiders believe the Bears are ‘praying’ for the ideal scenario in the first-round but two teams could try and prevent it from happening
Things are starting to get interesting.
