These 3 teams can absolutely make the Bears' lives hard in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but Chicago still has multiple options
The 2025 NFL Draft for the Chicago Bears kicks off with the 10th overall pick and it seems like general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson are preparing for anything to see who falls in their lap.Johnson shared this week during the league meetings that members of the front office and the top […]
The 2025 NFL Draft for the Chicago Bears kicks off with the 10th overall pick and it seems like general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson are preparing for anything to see who falls in their lap.
Johnson shared this week during the league meetings that members of the front office and the top coaches on the staff sat together and broke down film on the top 20 or so prospects and came away confident about multiple options.
The top three players currently being linked to the Bears with the 10th overall pick are running back Ashton Jeanty, offensive tackle Will Campbell, and tight end Tyler Warren.
So, with all that being said, the Bears have their potential targets, but they're not the only team zeroing in on those prospects. Inside the Top-10, there are three teams that easily snatch all three of those players and such a scenario could certainly make the first round tough when it comes to Chicago getting its preferred guy.
Therefore, let's break down each of those three teams and where things seem to be headed.
Raiders are public enemy #1 for top target
Let's start with the Las Vegas Raiders, who threw a major wrench into the Bears plans after trading for quarterback Geno Smith and turning their attention to the RB class.
Las Vegas is public enemy #1 when it comes to a team stealing Ashton Jeanty off the board with the sixth overall pick. Luckily for Chicago, the Raiders have way more pressing needs than RB, and it's a strong RB class beyond just Jeanty.
However, Raiders general manager John Spytek shared earlier this week that he has some extra incentives to pursue going after the top back in the class.
"My son has made it no secret that if we don't pick Ashton Jeanty at No. 6 that he's walking out of the family and he's gonna find somebody else, probably whoever takes Ashton," GM John Spytek said. "He walked right into our building and basically told [owner] Mark Davis 'If my dad doesn’t take Ashton Jeanty, he's doing a bad job.'"
Now, that doesn't mean much, truthfully. But it does confirm that Jeanty is on the mind of the Raiders top executive. Another thing going for the Bears here is that drafting Jeanty would be out of the norm for Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll, as our own Justin Churchill laid out below.
Ashton Jeanty being selected by the Raiders would be going against the grain for Pete Carroll and John Spytek
The Raiders could literally do anything.
Jets eying top TE the Bears have been gushing over
Next up, let's look at the New York Jets sitting with the seventh overall pick. Based on what we heard from new general manager Darren Mougey, the Jets seem to be leaning toward the top offensive tackles, but specifically Armand Membou given his ability to play on the right side.
However, if Membou isn't the target, keep an eye on Warren being an option if the front office prefers to add a top weapon on offense.
"I am hoping the Jets are able to draft a player like Penn State’s Tyler Warren in the first round because I think he is a dynamic offensive mismatch the Jets have not had in my lifetime. Mougey, to his credit said he won’t be too concerned with positional value when he is on the clock." – A to Z Sports Mike Antoniou
Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen each seemed to be gushing over Warren's potential based on what Johnson shared this week, and the Jets would be the top team to be concerned about drafting him first.
Saints quietly keeping tabs on three key options
Finally, the New Orleans Saints are a major concern to potentially snag either of those three prospects mentioned above with the ninth overall pick, one selection before the Bears are on the clock.
The Saints had a private dinner with Jeanty the day before his Pro Day and had Campbell in for a Top-30 visit. As for Warren, the Saints are one of six teams looking to put together a private workout for the top tight end.
Of the three, Campbell seems to be the target here, unless the Saints trade back. Nick Underhill mentioned the Saints are looking hard at multiple RBs beyond just Jeanty and could pass on him if he's there. The same can't be said for Campbell given his ability to play multiple spots of need up-front.
"Campbell could make sense for the Saints. If he has to move to guard, he projects as a real impressive interior OL, even with his limited length. New Orleans' long-term starting spot at LG is still undetermined. If Campbell can stick at tackle, he could force Trevor Penning to a backup role or possibly inside if necessary." – Adam Holt
The ideal situation here for the Bears would be the Saints pivoting to a top WR or CB with the ninth overall pick, and things get even more dicey if New Orleans trades out to another team looking to move up.
Bears GM Ryan Poles leaves the door open to potentially trade back from the 10th overall pick depending on how the first nine selections go
This will be worth keeping an eye on.
