The Chicago Bears are entering the 2025 NFL Draft with plenty of draft capital to work with. Holding four picks inside the top 75, the Bears can move up or down the board via a trade if they please.
In terms of trading up, Chicago would ensure they landed an elite talent in the 2025 class. While they still can at No. 10, a trade means that the Bears get the exact player they want without having to rely on draft board luck. As Ben Johnson steps in as head coach, one of the top players in the draft could be the final piece to his new-look offensive puzzle.
However, Chicago doesn’t want to get too ambitious. For all the hype they’ve gotten, they’re still coming off of a 5-12 campaign. While they could trade away either the No. 39 or No. 41 pick, that takes away opportunities to build the roster. One blue chip prospect would be a nice haul, but the Bears have more than one hole on their roster to fill.
Instead, perhaps they look to package the No. 10 overall pick with No. 72, giving themselves some breathing room. If they were to take this approach, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune thinks the highest the team could get up the board is No. 7 with the New York Jets.
“If the Bears were to bundle the 10th pick with their third-round choice at No. 72, the highest they could get would be No. 7, and that’s only if the New York Jets were willing to move,” Biggs wrote. “Sometimes teams put a little more weight on top-10 picks and demand more in return.”
“The Bears would have to be supremely motivated to trade up in this draft,” Biggs concluded. “They have a solid collection of draft capital with two second-round picks plus the third-rounder that’s in the top third of that round. Start bundling picks to move up, and all of a sudden you’re drafting fewer players. From my viewpoint, the Bears need a collection of young players to add to the mix.”
Chicago Bears trade up
For the Bears to actually move up, they must become enamored with a player and feel as if there’s not a chance he reaches the No. 10 pick. But even still, Chicago’s draft board should be stocked with plenty of talent ready for the picking. Especially if it’s just moving up three spots.
The Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints have made matters a bit more tricky. New Orleans is now in need of a quarterback while Carolina has said they’re willing to trade down. If the Saints go QB, that would be a boon for the Bears. But if a team has a similar mindset as the Bears, they can look to make a splash before Chicago can turn their card in. It’s not yet known if the New York Jets would seriously consider a trade, remedying that issue.
Still, Chicago cannot afford to waste any of their picks. The team is looking for immediate success in year one of the Johnson era. However, Ryan Poles and company know they must build for a brighter future rather than just a flash in the pan. They will do their due diligence from all angles before agreeing to a trade.
The NFL Draft always has some element of chaos to it. And with so many picks, the Bears can play a large role in that for the 2025 version if they decide to move up the board.
Who Bears could trade for
There are quite a few options for the Bears when it comes to moving up. But they fall into two main categories. Either a star player falls down the board and Chicago can’t resist, or the Bears feel they have to move up before another team snags their top target.
For the first scenario, the two most likely candidates seem to be defensive tackle Mason Graham or pass rusher Abdul Carter. Graham has been mocked all over the top 10 leading up to the draft, even to the Bears. If he were to fall, Graham gives Chicago a defensive building block to work with. As would Carter, who is arguably the most explosive defender in the draft. Once considered a No. 1 overall pick candidate, a foot injury hurt some of Carter’s stock. If teams decide to stay away, the Bears can land a player no one expected them to at the beginning of the draft process.
When it comes to need – and what is available in the first 10 picks – running back Ashton Jeanty or offensive lineman Will Campbell would be the likely trade up targets. Campbell has gotten some flack for his arm length, but he is still considered the best offensive lineman in the class. In Chicago he would bring strong competition to Braxton Jones at left tackle. Jeanty almost doesn’t need an introduction, as he has arguably been the player most connected to the Bears. As Johnson tries to breathe life into Chicago’s new offense, the Heisman runner-up would bring it in spades.
The 2025 NFL Draft will reshape the Bears’ organization forever. While fans are expected to be glued to their televisions for pick No. 10, maybe Chicago’s moment in the sun comes a tad earlier.
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