Windy City Gridiron
The Bears can go in a lot of routes the Bears can go on Thursday - do you prefer quality or quantity?
The 2025 NFL draft outlook is a complicated one. There is a general consensus that there are only 4-5 premium talents. Two of those players also play premium positions, whereas a few others play positions that are considered “less valuable.”
In addition to that, there are dozens of players that appear to have a late 1st or early 2nd round grade, meaning that Day 2 picks could be very valuable.
Our beloved Chicago Bears are uniquely positioned where they have a first-round pick that may be just out of range of the premium talent, and three Day 2 selections that could prove valuable.
Meanwhile, Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson have assembled a roster that has a dwindling number of holes, meaning they can be opportunistic. If you survey the mock drafts around the internet, you’ll find the Bears selecting several different names in several different positions in the 1st round.
But there remain two preferred paths for the Bears on Thursday night:
Now, obviously, there are a million variations - so let’s set some guardrails before we dig into it.
The premium talents available will not be Abdul Carter or Travis Hunter. Instead, they are Ashton Jeanty and Tyler Warren.
The trade back options are Indianapolis’ 14th and 80th overall picks or Denver’s 20th and 51st overall picks.
So, with our options available, I must ask you: Do you prefer the Bears to take a premium talent at #10 or trade back and accrue an additional Day 2 selection?
Honestly, I can’t make up my mind. I thought by the time I would have gotten to this point in the article, I would have made a decision, but here I am... delaying.
Alright, I’ll take a stance. I would prefer the Bears to take a premium player at #10. This is contingent upon the new Bears coaching staff having conviction that a premium player could make a significant difference.
Picturing Ashton Jeanty running over Brian Branch or Tyler Warren “Mossing” a catch over Jaire Alexander is just too appealing. That’s not to say that Treyveon Henderson or Mason Taylor can’t do those things - but Warren and Jeanty could be special in Ben Johnson’s system.
But then again - having another pick to take a guy like Aierontae Ersery is appealing...
Now it’s your turn - would you prefer the Bears to take a premium talent at #10 or trade back and accrue an additional Day 2 selection? Sound off in the comments!
