What the Chicago Bears do with their No. 10 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will change the course of the franchise forever. Whether it’s a player on offense or defense, they are expected to fill a major role and almost immediately become a stalwart of new head coach Ben Johnson’s core.
However, Chicago has struggled in the first-round of the draft recently, at least according to the stats. While there have been some glaring hits, general manager Ryan Poles, and the regime before him, having some brutal misses as well. When it comes to Poles’ tenure, the jury is still out on the Bears’ 2024 class.
But going back 10 years, things have been much worse in Chicago. The Bears have been the least successful team in drafting in the first-round over the past decade, according to Daniel Kelley of FTN Fantasy.
“The Bears’ average first-round pick over the last decade has roughly seventh overall. They’re the only team averaging a pick better than 10th, and the team averaging 10th is the famously eff-them-picks Rams, who either pick early or don’t bother,” Kelley wrote. “When they have picked (the Bears didn’t select in the first round in 2019, 2020 or 2022), the Bears haven’t drafted worse than 11th since 2014, outside our sample.”
“Despite that, the Bears have gotten less playing time from those first-rounders than any other, with Kevin White (seventh overall in 2015) the most notable bust,” Kelley continued. “Three of these picks went to quarterbacks, with Mitchell Trubisky and Justin Fields definitely coming up short and the jury still out on Caleb Williams.”
Chicago Bears biggest draft misses
While there are plenty of contenders for biggest draft miss over the last decade, no one is arguing quarterback Mitchell Trubisky was a bad selection. Especially considering that Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes went just eight picks later.
Trubisky did have a winning record during his time with the Bears, going 29-21. He even made the Pro Bowl in 2018 and threw for 10,609 yards and 64 touchdowns. But when it was clear Trubisky wasn’t the future in Chicago, the team decided to move on. The quarterback has been a journeyman backup ever since.
Justin Fields would be considered another draft miss, at least based on his time with the Bears. He dazzled with his legs, running for 2,220 yards and 14 touchdowns. However, he threw for 6,674, 30 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over three years. With a 10-28 record, the Bears moved on in favor of Caleb Williams.
Not a quarterback, but wide receiver Kevin White is also up there for biggest miss. He spent three years with Chicago after being selected No. 7 overall in 2015. But playing in just 14 games, he caught 25 passes for 285 scoreless yards. He never became the star receiver the Bears or the league expected him to be.
Ryan Poles preparing for fourth draft
The 2024 NFL Draft was a pivotal moment for Poles. There, he selected Williams with the No. 1 overall pick. He has tied his career, at least with the Bears, to the pick and put the franchise in the quarterback’s hands. Ultimately, the general manager will be judged by how Williams’ career fares.
In Poles’ first year with the Bears, he didn’t have a first-round pick. However, in 2023 he made a strong choice when he took right tackle Darnell Wright at ironically No. 10. Wright has solidified his role on Chicago’s offensive line and is coming off of a 2024 season that saw him rank 16/141 tackles with a 79.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
There have been other hits, such as Kyler Gordon and Braxton Jones in 2022 as well as Gervon Dexter and Tyrique Stevenson in 2023. Rome Odunze, like Williams can boost Poles’ 2024 cred. But at the same time, there have been selections like Velus Jones in the third round. Tyler Scott in the fourth. Zacch Pickens in the third.
With four picks in the top-75 the Bears hold plenty of weight in the 2025 class. Entering the Johnson era, Poles knows the Bears must nail every selection.
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