Following the first wave of free agency, the Chicago Bears are far more improved than they were following the 2024 season. With new additions at the two guard positions, along with signing Drew Dalman in free agency, the Bears are in a much better position for the 2025 NFL Draft than they were beforehand.
Now, they’re not a perfect roster yet, although they’ve made significant moves at positions of need. In fact, they have a few relatively glaring holes that they can ideally plug up in the 2025 NFL Draft.
So, what are the Bears’ biggest draft needs? Fantastic question, reader.
Bears 2025 NFL Draft needs
RB, EDGE, S, LB
Even as the new-and-improved Bears, this is a trend Chicago has seen with their football team for the last few offseasons. A positive string of months from February to May following the season doesn’t mean much to Bears fans anymore, especially with back-to-back losing records following offseason championships. No, that’s not a real title. But, if it were, the Bears would’ve been hanging banners the last few years.
OFFSEASON CHAMPIONS AGAIN
The Chicago Bears hang another banner
#DaBears | #NFL pic.twitter.com/FYANst6bcI
— FanDuel (@FanDuel) March 10, 2025
With the 10th pick in the first round, the Bears could be facing an interesting choice on Thursday, April 24: the first day of the 2025 NFL Draft. Considering the weaker 2025 quarterback class, there’s no guarantee that one or more get selected before the Bears at No. 10. And since the Bears don’t need a quarterback, they could be battling for certain prospects.
Now, with that, they shouldn’t be reaching at No. 10 just to ensure they draft a position of need. With this draft full of running backs and EDGE rushers, there could be plenty of opportunities for the Bears to reach with the 10th pick.
In terms of positions they need, the Bears’ top priority is running back. D’Andre Swift shouldn’t be in the Bears’ long-term plans, even if he remains on the team in 2025. Now, there’s a chance the Bears have a Sonic and Knuckles-like backfield, including Swift. It’s hard to compare the Bears’ current No. 1 running back to Jahmyr Gibbs, however.
But, if Ben Johnson finds a way to utilize Swift, a good power back could be in play in the NFL Draft. Or, if Swift gets traded during the draft again, they could look for an all-purpose back, too.
Along with running back, the Bears need an EDGE rusher to pair with Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter, and newly acquired Grady Jarrett. With Dennis Allen having a type at EDGE, it could make for an all-time blunder at pick No. 10, which will be touched on later in this article.
The Bears also need a safety — or two — and a linebacker. With Kevin Byard — age — and Jaquan Brisker — concussion history — having their own set of obstacles ahead of them in 2025, being prepared to move on from one — or both — could be in the cards for Chicago during the 2025 NFL Draft. Chicago also lost linebacker Jack Sanborn in free agency, creating a hole in their linebacker group heading into 2025. While that might not be their biggest need, it’s a need nonetheless.
While it isn’t necessarily a need, especially after their free agency signings, all 32 teams should always look at improving their trenches if they can. After the Philadelphia Eagles dropped the blueprint on how to stop Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. So, add that to their needs, too.
However, Bears fans should pull out the panic button if Poles and Co. select any of these prospects with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bears should avoid Kelvin Banks Jr. in 2025 NFL Draft
Entering the 2025 season with Braxton Jones penciled in as the starting left tackle, the Bears aren’t necessarily in the position to need an upgrade at the position. Jones is set to get paid a strong contract following the 2025 season, putting the Bears in a peculiar situation.
They can sign Jones to a contract worth around $20 million per season or draft an offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft. Although Jones was a fifth-round gem by Poles, finding his replacement shouldn’t have a similar strategy. Fifth-round picks don’t frequently pan out in the NFL, so for Jones to be what he is should already be seen as impressive.
However, they could do better just as easily as they could do worse than the fifth-round left tackle. Jones is a slightly above-average offensive tackle who can sometimes reach high-end levels, making it difficult to predict whether others could replace him.
With that, one 2025 NFL Draft prospect the Bears shouldn’t consider is Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. As one of the only natural left tackles worth taking early in the first round, the Bears shouldn’t be fooled.
In fact, a reputable resource on scouting offensive and defensive linemen, Brandon Thorn of Bleacher Report, had an eye-catching write-up of Banks that should discourage the Bears from wanting him with the No. 10 pick.
“Banks entered the 2024 season poised to capitalize on his tantalizing upside going back to his days as a 5-star recruit,” Thorn wrote. “While the Longhorns as a team have matched the hype, his play has been a little underwhelming relative to expectations. These concerns stem primarily from shaky recovery skills that result in him being manipulated out of position by skilled rushers who know how to set up their moves and struggling to get himself out of compromising positions.
“Banks has made plenty of big blocks in the run and screen game this season while largely being solid as a pass protector, which has been enough to rack up accolades (Outland and Lombardi awards) but has left something to be desired for his projection to the pro game, with lingering questions on whether he can stick at tackle or would be best served kicking inside to guard,” Thorn added. “Differential: Fringe top 10 to Round 2.”
So, while he has potential, his game has inconsistencies that make it hard to justify selecting him in the top 10. In fact, Thorn sees him as a potential Round 2 prospect.
Unless the Bears’ big board gets annihilated during the first nine picks before them, Kelvin Banks Jr. shouldn’t be on their radar with the 10th selection. If they trade down and acquire him later in the first round or early into the second, it’s much less of a blown pick.
Bears should avoid Shemar Stewart in 2025 NFL Draft
Following Banks, the Bears should avoid defensive lineman Shemar Stewart in the 2025 NFL Draft. Stewart has freakishly high athletic ability, but his production — or lack thereof — is highly concerning.
When it comes to draft prospects, there should be a happy medium of pairing high-end talent with high-end production. If a prospect has just one or the other, it makes them far more risky. For Stewart’s sake, he’s one of the biggest gambles of the first round.
I think the reason Shemar Stewart is such a bad finisher is that he’s loose and uncoordinated in the upper body.
He’s a bit of a bull in a china shop rushing the passer. He wins, but he wins messy, and that makes it much harder to get sacks even if he’s affecting the pocket. pic.twitter.com/sK8CXJ8d2I
— Max Toscano (@maxtoscano1) March 27, 2025
Throughout his three seasons with Texas A&M, Stewart totaled just four-and-a-half sacks, averaging an even one-and-a-half per season. However, the part that makes it tricky is that he scored a perfect 10.00 RAS, or Relative Athletic Score, ranking No. 1 among 2,012 defensive ends since 1987.
So, while his production was lackluster, it’s paired with historically elite athletic testing at the combine.
Stewart could certainly blossom into a productive NFL player, but the lack of production in college makes it hard to bet on Stewart with the No. 10 pick. If the Bears were to trade down and acquire Stewart later in the first round, he could be a good addition to Chicago’s defensive front: a part of their defense that needs a glow-up in 2025.
However, especially with other suitable EDGE rushers likely available at No. 10, the Bears should avoid Shemar Stewart with their first-round pick.
Bears should avoid Tyler Warren in 2025 NFL Draft
The third and final player the Bears should avoid with pick No. 10 in the 2025 NFL Draft is Penn State tight end Tyler Warren. While he wouldn’t necessarily be a bad pick with No. 10, there’s some reason to be a bit hesitant with Warren. Again, this isn’t saying he’s a bad prospect. He’s not. But his nutrition facts label has some hidden warnings.
The top issue with Warren is the fact that he’s only had one year of high-end production as a five-year player at Penn State.
- 2020: 2 games, no stats recorded
- 2021: 13 games, 5 receptions, 61 yards, 1 TD
- 2022: 12 games, 10 receptions, 123 yards, 3 TDs
- 2023: 13 games, 34 receptions, 422 yards, 7 TDs
- 2024: 16 games, 104 receptions, 1,233 yards, 8 TDs
Does this mean he’s destined to fail at the NFL level? No. In fact, he could have a very solid NFL career, as he’s capable of being an impressive blocker and passing-game threat.
But, does that make him a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft? That’s where there’s a bit of a hangup. With Ben Johnson running the show offensively, there could be a lot more 12 personnel — offensive formation with one running back, two tight ends, and two wide receivers — considering how much he used that formation in 2024 with the Detroit Lions. If his blueprint for the 2025 season includes similar offensive formations, that could mean the Bears need a competent No. 2 option.
If Johnson believes in having another high-end tight end alongside Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland might make a little more sense than Warren, as Kmet plays a similar style as the Penn State product. However, with Loveland’s abilities as a hybrid between a receiver and a tight end, he might be a more valuable resource than Warren. Loveland never reached the production Warren did in 2024, but it’s safe to say Michigan’s passing offense was in a much lower tier than Penn State’s.
- 2024 Michigan Wolverines: 129.1 passing yards per game (131st/134 FBS teams)
- 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions: 227.9 passing yards per game (66th/134 FBS teams)
In 2024, the Wolverines had almost 100 fewer yards per game through the air, showing why Loveland might not have the production to match his abilities. However, even with lower production, Loveland has leapfrogged Warren as the best tight end in the 2025 NFL Draft in ESPN’s rankings.
Along with other options at tight end, there will likely be better players for the Bears to draft at No. 10, period. And if there isn’t, the Bears should be more willing to trade down and acquire more Day 2 assets instead of reaching on a one-year wonder in a non-premium position.
Now, just because Kelvin Banks Jr., Shemar Stewart, and Tyler Warren are on this list, it doesn’t make them bad picks for the Bears in general. Their value at pick No. 10 is what makes them prospects to avoid, as it likely wouldn’t be smart to draft any of these players with their natural first-round pick. If Ryan Poles decides to trade down, the Bears don’t need to avoid them as much.
The only player the Bears should truly avoid from this list altogether is Stewart. He could pan out, but his lack of production is a major red flag. He also doesn’t have top-of-the-line film, making it even easier to pass on the Texas A&M product.
The player the Bears could avoid the least is Warren, but his lack of production throughout those first four seasons is worrisome. With that, Johnson could likely get the most out of Warren, but with Kmet already there, it could make for an odd pairing.
All-in-all, the Bears are in a position to make significant changes to their team through the 2025 NFL Draft, starting with the No. 10 pick.
The post 3 players Chicago Bears must avoid in 2025 NFL Draft appeared first on ClutchPoints.
