An eventful offseason in Halas Hall is about to get even more exciting.
From hiring new head coach Ben Johnson to trading for multiple veteran trench pieces, the Bears look like an improved squad from last year’s team, which finished 5-12 and in last place in the NFC North.
The last big event of the offseason, NFL Draft week, is officially here. The Bears, who hold the 10th overall pick in the first round, have a plethora of options at their disposal. Do they draft another offensive lineman? Pair D’Andre Swift with one of the high-level running backs? Trade up or down? Here are five potential targets for the Bears’ first-round selection:
Will Campbell – OT – LSU
Will Campbell comes into the draft as PFF’s highest-graded offensive lineman. While the Bears have already spent significant money and assets in free agency on the position group, bringing in the likes of Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dahlman, having a talent like Campbell fall to pick 10 would be tough to pass up.
One of the biggest question marks still remaining with the Bears’ offensive line room is the left tackle position, currently held down by Braxton Jones. While Jones had a good 2024 campaign, it ended on a sour note with him suffering an ankle injury that required surgery. Jones is also entering a contract year and would be set to see a decent-sized payday if he remains healthy. If the Bears were to draft Campbell, it would eliminate the worry of not having a quality left tackle for years to come.
While it is unlikely Campbell makes it to Chicago’s pick at 1o, it wouldn’t be the first time a player of his talent falls a couple spots down the draft board.
Ashton Jeanty – RB – Boise State
During his 2024 campaign at Boise State, Ashton Jeanty had a season for the ages — 2,601 yards, 29 touchdowns, 7.0 yards per carry, and finished as the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy. Taking out positional value, Jeanty is arguably the best prospect in this year’s draft class.
When Ben Johnson was in Detroit, one of the more controversial moves the team made was drafting Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick in the 2023 draft, despite already having a steady starter in David Montgomery, much like how the Bears currently have D’Andre Swift as the lead back.
What ended up happening, however, was the Lions created one of the scariest running back duos in the league overnight, pairing Montgomery’s toughness and in-the-trenches style of running with Gibbs’ flashy, outside-the-tackles style of running. For Chicago, drafting Jeanty would bring a similar type of versatility to their backfield.
Omarion Hampton – RB – North Carolina
In a running back class headlined by Ashton Jeanty, it feels as though the national media has overlooked Hampton. During his last two years at North Carolina, Hampton recorded a combined 3,164 yards and 30 touchdowns on almost six yards per carry. In most years, Hampton would far and away be the top running back in his draft class.
In all reality, there’s a good chance Jeanty is off the board by the time Chicago makes their selection. Teams like Jacksonville, New Orleans, and even New England, which all pick ahead of the Bears, have been linked to Jeanty in the draft process. If Ben Johnson and company are set on taking a high-level running back, Hampton would be one heck of a consolation prize.
Tyler Warren – TE – Penn State
So far this offseason, the priority in Chicago has been clear— protect their young quarterback, Caleb Williams.
Not only would Warren provide another addition to the blocking game, but it would also give Williams another elite receiving weapon at his disposal.
While the Bears already have a solid tight end in Cole Kmet, Warren is one of those players that would be extremely hard to pass up. Headlined by his pass-catching ability, Warren brought in 104 catches for 1,233 yards in his final season at Penn State. Pairing Warren with Kmet, who has shown the ability to be both an effective receiver and blocker in the NFL, would allow Johnson and the Bears to run two-tight end packages that would be a matchup nightmare for defenses to defend.
Mike Green – DE – Marshall
Outside of the offensive line, building the defensive trenches was arguably the Bears’ biggest need heading into the offseason. Even after signing veteran Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency, adding another piece would provide some much-needed depth to the unit.
As a player, Green is everything you look for in an edge prospect: a high-motor, physical edge who uses a combination of speed and strength to pursue the quarterback. In 2024, Green finished with an impressive 17 sacks and 32 hurries. For a Bears unit that finished the season right in the middle of the pack in both categories, Green has the potential to take this defense to the next level.
While Green has proven to be a great on-the-field prospect, there have been some off-the-field concerns. There have been two separate accusations of sexual assault against Green, once in high school and once in college. Green has denied all accusations made against him, and there hasn’t been anything proven to say otherwise at the time of this article.
However, it is not uncommon for teams to pass on a player due to ongoing accusations.
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