2025 Chicago Bears Draft Target: Mike Green

Peter Casey - USA Today Sports

Dustin Riese - Senior Writer - Wed Feb 12 16:50:37 GMT-05:00 2025

With the NFL offseason officially underway, Ben Johnson and his staff must begin preparing what needs to change to get the Bears back on top. As you saw in the Superbowl, dominating in the trenches can be the key to long-term success, and the Eagles dominated the Chiefs in every facet on Sunday.

That shouldn't surprise you when you look at how good their offensive line has been and how their defense played all season. Their strength was built in the trenches, ironically where the Bears have struggled for the better part of two seasons. It's bad enough to have one of the worst offensive lines in the game, as Caleb Williams was destroyed most of the season, but when you don't have a pass rush to go with that, you are already behind the eight-ball.

Ryan Poles and Johnson know that beefing up and improving the trenches needs to be the primary focus this offseason, as the Bears are expected to target both the offensive and defensive lines this offseason. While most of the offensive line could likely be addressed on the free agent market, you still have to think the Bears will focus on that in the early stages of the 2025 NFL Draft.

If the most recent mock draft is accurate from NFL.com writer Chad Reuter, not only are the Bears expected to go with an offensive lineman (Will Campbell) in round one, but they are expected to address the trenches in each of the first three rounds. That includes round two, where Marshall University Edge rusher Mike Green could become an option for them.

The redshirt junior is coming off a fantastic season that many fans overlooked, given the level of competition he sees. At just 6-3 and 251 pounds, Green is undersized for your prototypical edge rusher, but in an era where athleticism is key, he makes up for his lack of size by being one of the best athletes on the field.

He has used that to his advantage to record 22.5 five career sacks in college, but it was the 2024 season that not only put him on the map but has raised him up to be one of the best Edge rushing prospects in the game. Not only did Green nearly double his entire tackle output this season with 81 total tackles, but he tripled his career sack numbers by picking up 17 sacks this season.

Green added three forced fumbles and several more tackles for a loss as he was all over the field. He is the definition of a high-motor pass rusher whose style of play should translate well in the NFL. Green displays a natural and instinctive rush, utilizing loose hips and a series of moves and counters that can open doors with force or finesse. He also plays exceptionally physically, which the Bears did lack at times last season.

While the lack of size does concern some scouts, having the high motor he has is also an issue, as he does tend to run out of gas quicker than you would like. That can be fixed at the next level, as he would have to learn to hone it in at times and still play the way he knows how.

After opting out of the Independence Bowl to focus on his future, Green was consistently one of the better performers at the Senior Bowl and has since seen his draft stock continue to rise. Once viewed as a third-round option, Green has skyrocketed into the second round with some feeling he could be a late-first-round pick.

Knowing where the Bears are picking in round two, there is a chance that Green could be there depending on how the rest of the draft shakes out. If that is the case, not only do the Bears need to make this pick, but it would be a home run for Johnson and his staff. Not only would the Bears be getting an excellent pass rusher to pair with Montez Sweat, but you are also pairing him with Dennis Allen.

Those two together could become something special, as Allen is consistently one of the best defensive playcallers. You add Green and some others in free agency, and this defense is setting up to be the Monsters of the Midway again.