Three first-round shockers that the Chicago Bears could end up selecting during the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears will have a wide open draft board with the 10th overall pick in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but who the team selects depends on how the first nine selections ahead of Chicago falls.The Bears remain high on running back Ashton Jeanty and multiple coaches have now voiced support for […]
The Chicago Bears will have a wide open draft board with the 10th overall pick in the first-round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but who the team selects depends on how the first nine selections ahead of Chicago falls.
The Bears remain high on running back Ashton Jeanty and multiple coaches have now voiced support for offensive lineman Will Campbell. The likelihood either player is available is slim, although the Bears are "praying" Jeanty falls to 10.
Another heavily mocked option has been Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, a swiss-army knife weapon who can play anywhere along the formation. But, here's which prospects would be first-round shockers if those three are all off the board by 10.
OT Kelvin Banks Jr.
Way early in the process, the Bears top two fan-favorite options in the first-round seemed to be Will Campbell and Kelvin Banks, two players who excelled at the left tackle position but have concerns about staying there due to arm length.
As the process went on, Campbell's name continued to be mentioned in the Top-5 conversation while Banks' range kept on dropping. Many fans in Chicago seemed to have soured on the idea of drafting Banks, but the team did meet with him, and notable draft insiders are starting to reveal Banks will be drafted higher than expected.
TE Colston Loveland
This one came out of left field and would certainly be a surprise to me if the Bears go in this direction. Head coach Ben Johnson was gushing about the idea of drafting Tyler Warren a few weeks back unprompted and never mentioned Colston Loveland.
But, when you look at what others are saying around the league, teams seem to be split on who the top tight end in the class is between Warren and Loveland. The two are very different players with very different skillsets at the position, and it's all dependent on which style the play-caller prefers.
Just like with Banks, insiders believe Loveland will go higher than where consensus mock drafts have him going. Matt Miller noted he would take Loveland over Warren in Chicago, but I'm not sure the actual team and staff feels the same way.
DE Shemar Stewart
This is one that would be shocking, but not surprising to see happen. The Bears brought in Shemar Stewart for a Top-30 visit a few days ago, who's become quite the polarizing prospect in the first-round, perhaps THE most polarizing.
The disconnect in Stewarts projection comes from his lack of production on the stat sheet (4.5 career sacks) during his time at Texas A&M. During the process, multiple teams all over the first-round have brought him in to figure out what went wrong.
The findings point more toward the system at Texas A&M being the reason for the lack of sacks for a player who's filled with athletic potential. Getting him into a system with a coordinator like Dennis Allen would be the best thing for Stewart, and having Allen unlocking Stewart's ability to sack the passer would be the best thing for the Bears.
Bears 2025 NFL Draft Most Likely Predictions: First-round RB, fifth-round trade back, and interest in mid-late round WRs
The draft plan is starting to piece together.
