What the Chicago Bears do with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft will set the foundation for the Ben Johnson era. For all the glitz and glamor and praise Chicago has gotten over the offseason, ultimately, they must nail their first-round draft selection.
The Bears’ options are seemingly limitless at this point. After bolstering both their offensive and defensive lines in free agency, neither seem to be as pressing needs anymore. Not that Chicago isn’t still eyeing the top linemen in the class, but the Bears are afforded a bit more draft luxury due to their free agency aggressiveness.
Because of that, the franchise has been heavily tied to running back Ashton Jeanty. Going running back in the top 10 may be a bit rich for some’s blood. However, Jeanty has proven to be in the upper echelon of NFL Draft running back prospects.
Jacksonville Jaguars legend Maurice Jones-Drew knows a thing or two about succeeding at the NFL level. And when he looks at Jeanty, Jones-Drew sees the league’s next big rushing star, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
“Ashton is the best one by far,” Jones-Drew said, “and it’s not even close. Being at Boise State, playing Oregon, Penn State and some of these other teams, I really like him. Great contact balance, vision, physical, long speed, he does it all. He catches the ball well out of the backfield, and the other part that made it easy for me was he was with Dirk Koetter.”
“They weren’t using a lot of college run schemes, if that makes sense. A lot of times, you watch these (college) backs and they’re running RPO or shotgun-run stuff,” Jones-Drew continued. “You don’t see as much of that in the NFL. You’re going to see more traditional stuff where the running back is 7 yards deep, and that helps the scouting process.”
“I’ve had a lot of coaches compare him to me. I tried not to do that. We’re similar in stature so I can see why people say that,” Jones-Drew concluded. “But in the last 10 years, he’s the best prospect I’ve seen come out. Saquon wasn’t as good of a pass blocker at Penn State where as Ashton will put his face in there. That’s why I gave him a nod up. Plus, Saquon was playing with the crème de la crème.”
Ashton Jeanty gives Chicago Bears major boost
The Bears are preparing to enter the season with D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson as their top rushing options. Swift is the lead runner and nearly had 1,000 years in 2024, but he averaged just 3.8 yards per carry. Johnson matched Swift’s team-leading six rushing touchdowns, but he had just 150 yards total, proving he is predominantly a goal line back. Put simply, Chicago could use a bit more juice in their running back room.
And Jeanty could certainly provide it. In his final season at Boise State, the running back led the nation with 2,601 rushing yards and added 29 touchdowns. He was named the Heisman runner-up and won the Maxwell, Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose awards.
The Bears spent their early offseason bolstering their trenches. Offensively, the team traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman. Having Jeanty behind a rebuilt line could cause chaos for the rest of the NFC North. The running back would be a focal point on the Bears’ offense and a key piece in quarterback Caleb Williams’ development.
Whether or not Jeanty actually ends up in Chicago comes down to two important questions. Does he actually make it to No. 10, and if he does, are the Bears willing to use that pick on a running back?
Ben Johnson’s run game
Johnson has proven he is willing to in the past. With the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Johnson’s then Detroit Lions selected running back Jahmyr Gibbs. While the team got scrutiny at the time, Gibbs just ran for 1,412 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024. Perhaps Jeanty can be Johnson’s next Gibbs project.
As he remolds the Bears, it won’t be a one-for-one recreation of the Lions. Chicago’s roster is built much differently, and Johnson will attempt to maximize each player’s strengths. Plus, it’d be a bit vanilla if supposedly one of the NFL’s best offensive minds ran back the same script. Still, it’s clear to see just how important the run game was to Johnson in Detroit.
He was promoted to the Lions offensive coordinator role in 2022. That season, Detroit ranked 11th in rushing, averaging 128.2 yards per game. They followed that up by ranking fifth in 2023, averaging 135.9 YPG. And in 2024, Johnson and the Lions ranked sixth in rushing offense, averaging 146.4 YPG. For Johnson’s offense to succeed, the run game must be on point.
Having a player like Jeanty would certainly do the trick. As the Bears finalize their draft plan, writing the running back’s name on their card is certainly in the picture.
Chicago Bears lose offensive lineman to Eagles
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