2025 NFL Mock Draft: Following a historic first-round deal, the Chicago Bears acquire the top potential
The 2025 NFL Draft is just over two weeks away, and we’re still no closer to figuring out what Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles will do in the first round.
The Bears are in a unique position in this year’s draft. Poles has built a roster that allows him to go in a number of different directions at No. 10 overall. He can stick with his trenches rebuild and select the best available offensive tackle, or he can splurge on a sports car and target Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. An edge rusher? Sure, why not.
There’s also the possibility the Bears make a first-round trade, and most draft analysts assume any deal involving Chicago would be a trade down the first-round order. If, for example, a quarterback-needy team wants to jump into the top 10 for Shedeur Sanders? The Bears are an obvious match.
But what about trading up? There’s a chance the Chicago Bears could believe in this year’s roster so much that they target one of the few “blue players” in this class and take an aggressive approach to land him.
That’s exactly what happens in the latest 2025 NFL mock draft from Pro Football Focus, in which the Bears send the 10th, 39th, 148th, and a 2026 first-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for the No. 2 pick overall.
“The Bears evidently believe their roster can win now and have been aggressive to maximize that opportunity,” PFF’s Mason Cameron wrote. “What’s more aggressive than jumping into the top three to grab the best pass rusher in the class? Dayo Odeyingbo is a solid veteran signing, but Carter’s 93.0 PFF pass-rush grade on true pass sets would raise Chicago’s defense into the upper echelon and is well worth the price needed to acquire him.”
Talk about sending shockwaves through the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
I’m not sure I see a trade like this happening. It would go against Poles’ general draft philosophy. At least, it wouldn’t match the team-building strategy he’s deployed since becoming the Bears’ GM in 2022.
I understand that there aren’t many elite players in the 2025 NFL Draft, but mortgaging so much draft capital for Carter seems like a misstep.
Sure, the Penn State star is an elite edge prospect, but he does have some injury concerns, and the Bears did just invest a sizable contract in Dayo Odeyingbo.
I get it: Odeyingbo, a good player, shouldn’t prevent Poles from trading for Carter, a great player. But sacrificing the 10th pick (a starter), the 39th pick (a likely starter), and a 2026 first-rounder (another starter) for Carter seems like an overpay.
The beauty of this 2025 mock draft is that it proves anything is possible for the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft. Buckle up, Bears fans. It’s going to be a fun ride.
