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The Chicago Bears are in the middle of an important offseason, where they're looking to develop into a contender under new head coach Ben Johnson.
Following a busy free agency that included some big-name additions, including offensive linemen Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman, as well as defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears are shifting their focus toward the 2025 NFL draft.
Chicago has seven draft picks, even after their two trades, including four in the Top 75 -- 10th overall, a pair of high second rounders and a third-round selection.
Here at Bears Wire, we went position by position to break down where Chicago stands ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.
It's always reassuring when quarterback isn't a concern, and that has everything to do with Caleb Williams' promising rookie season (amid chaos) and his ceiling with new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams is entering his first season where he'll have a full offseason to prepare as the starter, where he'll have an opportunity to further his chemistry with receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, as well as tight end Cole Kmet. Williams will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, which isn't ideal. But if Johnson proves to be the long-term answer, it won't matter as he'll be the one to hopefully unlock Williams as the team's franchise quarterback and get the Bears back on a winning track. Chicago also made an important move to add a veteran like Keenum to the quarterback room, and he'll serve as another mentor for Williams. -- Alyssa Barbieri
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On paper, one could argue the Bears would be fine simply finding another running back in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft and relying on Swift once more to carry the load. Given what transpired last year and coupled with the arrival of Ben Johnson, though, that doesn't seem feasible. Chicago's offense has impact players at the quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end positions. While Swift can be a home-run threat at times, he often gets swallowed up with minimal gains at best. The Bears will need to have a strong running game in Johnson's offense, as evidenced by what he did with the Lions the last two years. Swift can be a part of that, but he cannot be the sole answer. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
There's no desperate or urgent need to add another wide receiver, after the veteran additions the team made this offseason. One of the biggest reasons there's little need for another receiver is what is expected to be a growth from Odunze in his second season under the new look offense that his coach will bring. It's hard to see a scenario in which Odunze surpasses Moore as the team's top receiver, but Ben Johnson is innovative and he's going to have plenty of different plans to maximize Moore and Odunze's elite talent. The Bears have a WR1 and WR1B at the top of the depth chart, there's no reason to focus on bringing in another name in the early rounds. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
While Kmet is coming off a down year production wise, he's their clear-cut TE1 heading into 2025 and beyond. He'll serve a key role in Ben Johnson's offense and as Caleb Williams' security blanket next season. The biggest concern is depth behind Kmet, where Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis haven't been enough. Tight end isn't as big a need as the offensive and defensive lines, but it's still a position of need that needs to be addressed through free agency and/or the NFL draft. -- Alyssa Barbieri
Read more
Going into the offseason, the offensive line was the biggest priority for the Bears. They had question marks at multiple positions and needed to make multiple big moves to answer them. Poles and Johnson have done a tremendous job up to this point, and now the need to add starting-caliber linemen isn't as high as it once was. But the Bears would still be wise to target an offensive lineman with one of their top-three picks. Jones is entering the final year of his deal, and while he has been adequate as the starting left tackle when healthy, it doesn't sound like the Bears are comfortable committing to him in a long-term deal. The fact Poles has already brought up competition between him and Amegadjie is notable. Chicago could make do with Jones next to Thuney, but that would put a ceiling on their success while also putting them in a tough position going into 2026 with no clear successor at left tackle. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Chicago has the talent at their starting position, thanks to their activity in free agency in bringing in Odeyingbo to add on the opposite end of Sweat. The front office identified the edge rusher as a position of need and while Odeyingbo's name may not jump off the paper to all fans, his talent has been displayed all over the film. Even more important than just the roster is the new coaching staff, which will see defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, who will be tasked with leading this group to much better production in the 2025 season. The team would benefit from bringing in another edge rusher in the draft, because you can never have enough depth at the position. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
Going into last season, the Bears were too thin at defensive tackle. If Billings or Dexter were to go down, there was going to be a significant drop-off in production at the position. That's exactly what happened, and the Bears responded by adding Jarrett. It was a solid move that will give them more flexibility on the line, but it shouldn't preclude them from adding additional players in the draft. And they still don't have a star they can count on, either. Dexter's arrow is pointing up, but he has limitations. Billings is coming off a serious injury and is on the wrong side of 30. Jarrett should still be able to produce, but he's no longer the Pro Bowl-caliber player from his Falcons days. It's a nice group that can use another quality player in the rotation. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Edwards and Edmunds are the lead dogs at the position, but there's really not much behind them except for depth and special teams contributors. Between Edwards and Edmunds, the two combined for a total of 239 tackles, but they're going to need someone alongside them especially for new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. There's not a desperate need for the position, so there is a chance the Bears look to add a linebacker in either the later stages of the draft, specifically in the third or fifth round of the upcoming draft. There's also the aforementioned potential of bringing in a name in free agency before training camp begins. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
Given all the additions they made to increase depth behind their top guys, the Bears do not have a big need for the cornerback position. The only way the position would become a need for Chicago is if the coaching staff is looking to move on from Stevenson or create bigger competition around him. The Bears signed Gordon to a three-year contract extension to keep him in Chicago through 2028. Johnson and Gordon are the center pieces and foundation for the team's cornerback group, and they could carry the secondary throughout the season and the foreseeable future. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
If everyone is healthy, the Bears current safety group can get the job done in 2025. The problem is it's difficult to count on Brisker's health at the moment, and every safety is slated to hit free agency next offseason. Despite Brisker's talent, his future is up in the air due to injury concerns. He has suffered multiple concussions in the NFL, and missing the final 12 games of the year due to one is cause for alarm. It's a similar situation that Teven Jenkins found himself in last year, and he wound up leaving in free agency. Byard's in his early 30s, and while he's extremely durable, his best football is behind him. The Bears would be wise to target a safety in the middle rounds to develop for the future because this group won't be around for too long. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Chicago made some moves during free agency to extend a couple of core special teamers in Josh Blackwell and Amen Ogbongbemiga. But as far as the core three specialists go, everything appears set this season, barring some unforeseen circumstance. While Chicago did use a fourth-round pick on Tory Taylor in last year's NFL draft, that won't be the case in this year's draft. Despite Cairo Santos' struggles last season, the Bears feel content to roll with him again next season rather than sign or draft a kicker. Scott Daly proved himself to be a reliable long snapper with Patrick Scales out for the season, which earned Daly a one-year extension. -- Alyssa Barbieri
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Chicago Bears position previews
Continue reading...
Following a busy free agency that included some big-name additions, including offensive linemen Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson and Drew Dalman, as well as defensive linemen Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears are shifting their focus toward the 2025 NFL draft.
Chicago has seven draft picks, even after their two trades, including four in the Top 75 -- 10th overall, a pair of high second rounders and a third-round selection.
Here at Bears Wire, we went position by position to break down where Chicago stands ahead of the 2025 NFL draft.
Quarterback
It's always reassuring when quarterback isn't a concern, and that has everything to do with Caleb Williams' promising rookie season (amid chaos) and his ceiling with new head coach Ben Johnson. Williams is entering his first season where he'll have a full offseason to prepare as the starter, where he'll have an opportunity to further his chemistry with receivers DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, as well as tight end Cole Kmet. Williams will be learning his second offense in as many seasons, which isn't ideal. But if Johnson proves to be the long-term answer, it won't matter as he'll be the one to hopefully unlock Williams as the team's franchise quarterback and get the Bears back on a winning track. Chicago also made an important move to add a veteran like Keenum to the quarterback room, and he'll serve as another mentor for Williams. -- Alyssa Barbieri
Read more
Running back
On paper, one could argue the Bears would be fine simply finding another running back in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft and relying on Swift once more to carry the load. Given what transpired last year and coupled with the arrival of Ben Johnson, though, that doesn't seem feasible. Chicago's offense has impact players at the quarterback, wide receiver, and tight end positions. While Swift can be a home-run threat at times, he often gets swallowed up with minimal gains at best. The Bears will need to have a strong running game in Johnson's offense, as evidenced by what he did with the Lions the last two years. Swift can be a part of that, but he cannot be the sole answer. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Wide receiver
There's no desperate or urgent need to add another wide receiver, after the veteran additions the team made this offseason. One of the biggest reasons there's little need for another receiver is what is expected to be a growth from Odunze in his second season under the new look offense that his coach will bring. It's hard to see a scenario in which Odunze surpasses Moore as the team's top receiver, but Ben Johnson is innovative and he's going to have plenty of different plans to maximize Moore and Odunze's elite talent. The Bears have a WR1 and WR1B at the top of the depth chart, there's no reason to focus on bringing in another name in the early rounds. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
Tight end
While Kmet is coming off a down year production wise, he's their clear-cut TE1 heading into 2025 and beyond. He'll serve a key role in Ben Johnson's offense and as Caleb Williams' security blanket next season. The biggest concern is depth behind Kmet, where Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis haven't been enough. Tight end isn't as big a need as the offensive and defensive lines, but it's still a position of need that needs to be addressed through free agency and/or the NFL draft. -- Alyssa Barbieri
Read more
Offensive line
Going into the offseason, the offensive line was the biggest priority for the Bears. They had question marks at multiple positions and needed to make multiple big moves to answer them. Poles and Johnson have done a tremendous job up to this point, and now the need to add starting-caliber linemen isn't as high as it once was. But the Bears would still be wise to target an offensive lineman with one of their top-three picks. Jones is entering the final year of his deal, and while he has been adequate as the starting left tackle when healthy, it doesn't sound like the Bears are comfortable committing to him in a long-term deal. The fact Poles has already brought up competition between him and Amegadjie is notable. Chicago could make do with Jones next to Thuney, but that would put a ceiling on their success while also putting them in a tough position going into 2026 with no clear successor at left tackle. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
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Edge rusher
Chicago has the talent at their starting position, thanks to their activity in free agency in bringing in Odeyingbo to add on the opposite end of Sweat. The front office identified the edge rusher as a position of need and while Odeyingbo's name may not jump off the paper to all fans, his talent has been displayed all over the film. Even more important than just the roster is the new coaching staff, which will see defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, who will be tasked with leading this group to much better production in the 2025 season. The team would benefit from bringing in another edge rusher in the draft, because you can never have enough depth at the position. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
Defensive tackle
Going into last season, the Bears were too thin at defensive tackle. If Billings or Dexter were to go down, there was going to be a significant drop-off in production at the position. That's exactly what happened, and the Bears responded by adding Jarrett. It was a solid move that will give them more flexibility on the line, but it shouldn't preclude them from adding additional players in the draft. And they still don't have a star they can count on, either. Dexter's arrow is pointing up, but he has limitations. Billings is coming off a serious injury and is on the wrong side of 30. Jarrett should still be able to produce, but he's no longer the Pro Bowl-caliber player from his Falcons days. It's a nice group that can use another quality player in the rotation. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Linebacker
Edwards and Edmunds are the lead dogs at the position, but there's really not much behind them except for depth and special teams contributors. Between Edwards and Edmunds, the two combined for a total of 239 tackles, but they're going to need someone alongside them especially for new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. There's not a desperate need for the position, so there is a chance the Bears look to add a linebacker in either the later stages of the draft, specifically in the third or fifth round of the upcoming draft. There's also the aforementioned potential of bringing in a name in free agency before training camp begins. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
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Cornerback
Given all the additions they made to increase depth behind their top guys, the Bears do not have a big need for the cornerback position. The only way the position would become a need for Chicago is if the coaching staff is looking to move on from Stevenson or create bigger competition around him. The Bears signed Gordon to a three-year contract extension to keep him in Chicago through 2028. Johnson and Gordon are the center pieces and foundation for the team's cornerback group, and they could carry the secondary throughout the season and the foreseeable future. -- Mike Pendleton
Read more
Safety
If everyone is healthy, the Bears current safety group can get the job done in 2025. The problem is it's difficult to count on Brisker's health at the moment, and every safety is slated to hit free agency next offseason. Despite Brisker's talent, his future is up in the air due to injury concerns. He has suffered multiple concussions in the NFL, and missing the final 12 games of the year due to one is cause for alarm. It's a similar situation that Teven Jenkins found himself in last year, and he wound up leaving in free agency. Byard's in his early 30s, and while he's extremely durable, his best football is behind him. The Bears would be wise to target a safety in the middle rounds to develop for the future because this group won't be around for too long. -- Brendan Sugrue
Read more
Special Teams
Chicago made some moves during free agency to extend a couple of core special teamers in Josh Blackwell and Amen Ogbongbemiga. But as far as the core three specialists go, everything appears set this season, barring some unforeseen circumstance. While Chicago did use a fourth-round pick on Tory Taylor in last year's NFL draft, that won't be the case in this year's draft. Despite Cairo Santos' struggles last season, the Bears feel content to roll with him again next season rather than sign or draft a kicker. Scott Daly proved himself to be a reliable long snapper with Patrick Scales out for the season, which earned Daly a one-year extension. -- Alyssa Barbieri
Read more
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter and Facebook
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2025 NFL draft: Chicago Bears position previews
Continue reading...
