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Day 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft has come and gone, and the Chicago Bears are one dynamic playmaker richer. The Bears stood pat at pick No. 10 and selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, giving head coach Ben Johnson a new weapon to add to the offense. Loveland was one of the top two tight ends in this year's draft and has a unique skill set coming out of college.
The pick of Loveland has garnered plenty of reaction and attention, but the draft really kicks into high gear for the Bears now that Day 2 has arrived. Armed with three picks, including two within the top ten picks of the second round, general manager Ryan Poles has the opportunity to come away with multiple impact players.
Here are 10 players the Bears could be targeting with their three picks on Friday night:
If the Bears opt to focus on the trenches early in the second round, Nic Scourton would be a fine pick to bolster their defensive line. Scourton produced at both Purdue and Texas A&M, racking up 15 sacks and 29 tackles for loss the last two years. He has been compared to Trey Hendrickson, someone defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows very well from his days with the New Orleans Saints.
Every year, a player who seems destined to be picked in the first round falls out completely into Day 2. That player this year is Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. While cornerback isn’t the most pressing need for Chicago, it might be higher on their priority list than we think. Johnson has some injury concerns, but his upside is hard to ignore given the value of possibly snagging him early in the second round.
The Bears missed out on adding Ashton Jeanty to Johnson’s offense, but luckily for them, there are a few quality running backs available on Friday. The best one might be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. A key component of their College Football National Championship run, Henderson is a threat to take it to the house every time he scores. His pass protection is solid for his experience, and he would effectively be D’Andre Swift’s replacement going forward.
If the Bears want to find a complementary back to pair with Swift, then Henderson’s teammate makes more sense. Quinshon Judkins was the thunder to Henderson’s lightning in 2024, earning the tough yards and setting the tone with hard runs up the middle. The Bears could have a nice 1-2 punch with him and Swift for the 2025 season, though his skillset isn’t as robust as other backs in this class.
For a minute, it seemed like there was a chance either Josh Conerly or Josh Simmons might slip to the second round. Unfortunately, both players were scooped up at the end of the first, leaving the tackle options limited on Day 2. The player that makes the most sense is Aireontae Ersery, the stout tackle out of Minnesota. Ersery would not come in right away as a starter but is someone who could push Braxton Jones or Kiran Amegadjie for a starting spot at some point.
Landon Jackson is a freak of an athlete who has unique size and speed at the edge position. He fits the profile of what Allen would like to see from a defensive end in his system and had consistently solid production for the Razorbacks the last two seasons. He would be an intriguing player if Scourton is unavailable.
Henderson has elusiveness, Judkins has strength, and Kaleb Johnson has both. The Bears may opt for a player who can do it all, like Johnson, who has superb vision and the ability to slip through the hole and break one loose. Johnson could become a poor man’s Matt Forte with how he runs, something Bears fans wouldn’t mind seeing at Soldier Field.
The Bears have all of their safeties returning in 2025, but none are under contract after this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them use their third-round pick at the position, and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts would make sense. Watts was a ballhawk for the Fighting Irish and raised his profile during the College Football Playoff run. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein’s pro comp for Watts is Malik Hooker, someone defensive backs coach Al Harris knows very well.
Chicago helped fortify the interior of the defensive line in free agency by signing Grady Jarrett, but they could use at least one more quality player at the position to rotate in along with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. CJ West makes a lot of sense in the third round as a run stuffer out of Indiana.
Poles made two significant trades to shore up the guard position, but that won’t deter him from potentially adding another option as a developmental prospect. Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea has experience at both guard and tackle and would be able to learn under one of the best in Joe Thuney. The pick would also give the Bears options if they were unable to sign Thuney to an extension while making Jonah Jackson more expendable if Savaiinaea outperforms expectations early on.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 10 players the Bears could pick on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft
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The pick of Loveland has garnered plenty of reaction and attention, but the draft really kicks into high gear for the Bears now that Day 2 has arrived. Armed with three picks, including two within the top ten picks of the second round, general manager Ryan Poles has the opportunity to come away with multiple impact players.
Here are 10 players the Bears could be targeting with their three picks on Friday night:
1. EDGE Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
If the Bears opt to focus on the trenches early in the second round, Nic Scourton would be a fine pick to bolster their defensive line. Scourton produced at both Purdue and Texas A&M, racking up 15 sacks and 29 tackles for loss the last two years. He has been compared to Trey Hendrickson, someone defensive coordinator Dennis Allen knows very well from his days with the New Orleans Saints.
2. CB Will Johnson, Michigan
Every year, a player who seems destined to be picked in the first round falls out completely into Day 2. That player this year is Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. While cornerback isn’t the most pressing need for Chicago, it might be higher on their priority list than we think. Johnson has some injury concerns, but his upside is hard to ignore given the value of possibly snagging him early in the second round.
3. RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
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The Bears missed out on adding Ashton Jeanty to Johnson’s offense, but luckily for them, there are a few quality running backs available on Friday. The best one might be Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson. A key component of their College Football National Championship run, Henderson is a threat to take it to the house every time he scores. His pass protection is solid for his experience, and he would effectively be D’Andre Swift’s replacement going forward.
4. RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
If the Bears want to find a complementary back to pair with Swift, then Henderson’s teammate makes more sense. Quinshon Judkins was the thunder to Henderson’s lightning in 2024, earning the tough yards and setting the tone with hard runs up the middle. The Bears could have a nice 1-2 punch with him and Swift for the 2025 season, though his skillset isn’t as robust as other backs in this class.
5. OT Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
For a minute, it seemed like there was a chance either Josh Conerly or Josh Simmons might slip to the second round. Unfortunately, both players were scooped up at the end of the first, leaving the tackle options limited on Day 2. The player that makes the most sense is Aireontae Ersery, the stout tackle out of Minnesota. Ersery would not come in right away as a starter but is someone who could push Braxton Jones or Kiran Amegadjie for a starting spot at some point.
6. EDGE Landon Jackson, Arkansas
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Landon Jackson is a freak of an athlete who has unique size and speed at the edge position. He fits the profile of what Allen would like to see from a defensive end in his system and had consistently solid production for the Razorbacks the last two seasons. He would be an intriguing player if Scourton is unavailable.
7. RB Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
Henderson has elusiveness, Judkins has strength, and Kaleb Johnson has both. The Bears may opt for a player who can do it all, like Johnson, who has superb vision and the ability to slip through the hole and break one loose. Johnson could become a poor man’s Matt Forte with how he runs, something Bears fans wouldn’t mind seeing at Soldier Field.
8. S Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
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The Bears have all of their safeties returning in 2025, but none are under contract after this season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them use their third-round pick at the position, and Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts would make sense. Watts was a ballhawk for the Fighting Irish and raised his profile during the College Football Playoff run. NFL analyst Lance Zierlein’s pro comp for Watts is Malik Hooker, someone defensive backs coach Al Harris knows very well.
9. DT CJ West, Indiana
Chicago helped fortify the interior of the defensive line in free agency by signing Grady Jarrett, but they could use at least one more quality player at the position to rotate in along with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. CJ West makes a lot of sense in the third round as a run stuffer out of Indiana.
10. OG Jonah Savaiinaea, Arizona
Poles made two significant trades to shore up the guard position, but that won’t deter him from potentially adding another option as a developmental prospect. Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea has experience at both guard and tackle and would be able to learn under one of the best in Joe Thuney. The pick would also give the Bears options if they were unable to sign Thuney to an extension while making Jonah Jackson more expendable if Savaiinaea outperforms expectations early on.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 10 players the Bears could pick on Day 2 of the 2025 NFL Draft
Continue reading...
