Fresh off a very poor season, the Chicago Bears are making plans to improve their roster with new head coach Ben Johnson, who hopes to achieve a great deal more than the 5-12 record the Soldier Field franchise managed in 2024.
Rumors are swirling that the Bears could be targeting Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the NFL Draft, and the 21-year-old running back could be a key acquisition as Johnson looks to secure Chicago’s first winning season since 2018.
Despite a disappointing season, the vibes throughout the Midway are optimistic. The combination of Coach Ben Johnson and last year’s #1 overall pick, Caleb Williams, certainly positions Chicago for improvement. Bears fans have made this sentiment quite clear, with many of them hitting the sportsbook to support their belief with a wager, in which case the insights, promotions, and offers available from CBS sports betting could be invaluable to bettors throughout Chicago.
With seven draft picks available, the Bears are anxious to conclude their lengthy rebuild, and Ashton Jeanty could be the icing on the NFL Draft cake. According to league sources,
“The Bears love Ashton Jeanty.” So the Boise State running back could be the pick at No. 10,”
“Jeanty should be very interested in landing with the Bears too, and not just because of that top-10 rookie contract.”
Ashton Jeanty could make Bears offense instantly better
Ashton Jeanty could join a robust offense with Williams, promising young receivers in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, and tight end Cole Kmet. Factor in the additional ground support from D’Andre Swift and his 1,346 scrimmage yards, and you have a squad that could turn heads.
Things have been on the slide in Chicago for a long time. We are talking about a huge team which last featured in the Super Bowl in 2006 and has not won the ultimate prize since 1985, but that does not mean that the pressure won’t be on Johnson.
The Bears have been going through head coaches with alarming regularity, Johnson being the sixth coach to have sat in the hot seat in just over a decade, and he will want to hit the ground running.
This is the 38-year-old’s first head coach spot in the NFL, but he comes highly rated, and he is just one of the many who are interested in landing Jeanty in the NFL Draft. According to the latest odds, it’s the Las Vegas Raiders who are leading the way (-130), then come the Bears (+240), followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New Orleans Saints both (+900), then the Dallas Cowboys (+1500) and the New York Jets (+2500).
Johnson has, however, made it abundantly clear that should the Bears miss out on Ashton Jeanty, there are plenty of other top talents in the draft.
“There’s a lot of flavors to be had here. There’s value in Day 1, Day 2, all the way through Day 3, and I think there’s going to be a lot of good undrafted prospects as well this year, particularly at that position.”
“I think they show up each and every year. So we’re really excited.”
“I’ll be curious to hear what (running backs coach) Eric Bieniemy has to say. I’ve seen him in the office a few times now, and he’ll be like, ‘Man, I really like this guy. I really like that guy.’ I know he’s passionate about a few of these guys this year,” Johnson added.
The Bears’ head coach will no doubt have his eyes on a number of top additions as he looks to put his stamp on a roster that has underperformed for a while now, and it will be interesting to see how successful he is in putting together his lineup for 2025.
Jack Sawyer could be a safe selection for the Bears in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft
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