ChicagoBearsHQ 2025 Mock Draft 2.0

Bears are rumored to want to trade up for Jeanty (Mark Rebilas - USA Today Sports)

Ariana Pensy - Correspondent - 4 hours ago

In ChicagoBearsHQ’s second and final mock draft of the season, there will be trades. Since the real draft starts in just a few hours (Thurs, April 24 at 7 p.m. / ABC), there seems to be a better idea of who may be looking to trade and who is going to stay put.

1. Tennessee Titans - Cam Ward, Quarterback (Miami)

As the draft gets closer and closer, it seems more like a guarantee that Cam Ward will be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The only other realistic possibility is that they draft edge rusher Abdul Carter, but this seems unlikely.

2. Cleveland Browns - Abdul Carter, Edge (Penn State)

The Browns may need a quarterback, but it is hard to pass up on a potential generational defensive talent in Abdul Carter. They signed Kenny Pickett and could live with Pickett as their starter for a year, then opt to draft a quarterback in 2026 when the class will arguably be better.

3. New York Giants - Travis Hunter, Cornerback / Wide Receiver (Colorado)

New York is another team that needs a quarterback for the future. However, they signed Russell Wilson to a one-year, $10.5 million contract with another over $7.5 million in performance, playing time and playoff incentives. They have their quarterback for next season, which is why it makes more sense to go with the Heisman winner who has made it clear he will play on both sides of the ball.

4. New England Patriots - Will Campbell, Offensive Tackle (LSU)

Campbell is still considered the top offensive line prospect and the top priority for the Patriots is to protect their franchise quarterback, Drake Maye. There is also the possibility they target another position of need, such as wide receiver. However, there are no wide receivers in this draft class that are worthy of a top-five pick.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars - Mason Graham, Defensive Tackle (Michigan)

The Jaguars need an interior defensive lineman and while there is some debate about who is the best in this draft class, Graham seems to be the best interior defensive line prospect in this draft and could be a strong anchor for this Jacksonville defense.

6. Las Vegas Raiders - Ashton Jeanty, Running Back (Boise State)

Jeanty is the player the Raiders want the most in this draft. The Heisman runner-up is clearly the top running back prospect in the draft. It would be a shock if Las Vegas passed on him.

7. New York Jets - Armand Membou, Offensive Tackle (Missouri)

With Justin Fields now the starting quarterback for the Jets, New York needs a solid offensive line to protect him. Membou would slide into right tackle and is also one of the best offensive line prospects in this draft class.

8. Carolina Panthers - Mykel Williams, Edge (Georgia)

Carolina is also among the teams in this draft that have a lot of holes to fill. However, when you cannot get pressure on the quarterback, you cannot win games. The Panthers struggled to get in the backfield last season. Williams would help to solve that problem and could easily be an impactful starter immediately.

9. New Orleans Saints - Shedeur Sanders, Quarterback (Colorado)

With starting quarterback Derek Carr’s availability for next season in jeopardy and with him on the last year of his contract, it seems like the perfect time to draft their quarterback of the future. Sanders finishes his collegiate career with the FBS record for career completion percentage with 71.8 percent. He also led the Big-12 in touchdown passes last season with 37.

10. Chicago Bears - Kelvin Banks Jr., Offensive Tackle (Texas)

Right when Ben Johnson became the head coach, the priority seemed to be improving the offensive line. Chicago already improved their guards with trades for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signed center Drew Dalman. Darnell Wright has been a solid right tackle and does not need to be replaced. However, left tackle is still an area where the Bears could use some improvement.

Banks Jr. was a unanimous All-American this past season. According to Next Gen Stats, he has one of the highest production and athleticism scores out of any offensive tackle available in the draft. During his time with the Volunteers, he excelled at run blocking although he could use some development in pass protection. With the veteran offensive linemen Chicago brought in, Banks Jr. would easily be able to learn from the players around him. With Jeanty, Graham and Campbell all off the board, this is the best move the Bears can make at No. 10 overall.

However, they could be open to trade calls if they want to move down and acquire more picks since they currently only have seven picks. In this mock, they are not trading down because of the high-quality player they would be getting in Banks Jr.

11. San Francisco 49ers - Jahdae Barron, Cornerback (Texas)

San Francisco needs an offensive tackle. However, with the Bears selecting Banks Jr. and two offensive tackles being selected before him, the 49ers look to improve their defense with Barron. The All-American corner led the SEC in interceptions with five and finished his collegiate career with eight total. That is precisely the kind of big-play ability this team could use next season.

12. Dallas Cowboys - Tetairoa McMillan, Wide Receiver (Arizona)

Part of what Dallas was missing last season was a solid wide receiver No. 2 to go with CeeDee Lamb. McMillan is arguably the best receiver in this draft class and as a big-body receiver, could really serve to fill that gap.

13. Miami Dolphins - Malaki Starks, Safety (Georgia)

Perhaps the best representation of what Starks is capable of was his All-American season in 2023 when he recorded three interceptions and broke up seven passes. This past season, he only had one interception. However, he also had four tackles for loss and had 77 total tackles. He is someone that can be an impact player all over the field, something the Dolphins would greatly benefit from.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Projected Trade with Indianapolis Colts) - Jalon Walker, Linebacker (Georgia)

During the offseason, Tampa Bay signed K.J. Britt to fill their hole at linebacker. However, Walker would be a better long-term solution. During his three seasons with Georgia, Walker had 12.5 sacks and is seen as one of the top prospects in the draft by NFL draft expert Daniel Jeremiah. Seeing him slide to No. 14 is a chance the Buccaneers cannot pass up on, especially when the Atlanta Falcons are also looking for a linebacker.

15. Atlanta Falcons - Mike Green, Edge (Marshall)

Among the players who were top five in sacks on the Atlanta Falcons, two of them are no longer with the team including Grady Jarrett who is now with the Bears. After losing that kind of production, Green is the perfect fit as he led the NCAA with 17.5 sacks last season and had 23 tackles for loss, which is exactly the kind of production Atlanta needs.

16. Arizona Cardinals - Shemar Stewart, Edge (Texas A&M)

Getting in the backfield was a problem for the Arizona defense last season. The Cardinals’ sack leader only had five sacks, so they could benefit from a player like Stewart who has a lot of upside. While his production is lacking compared to other prospects in the draft as he finished his collegiate career with only 4.5 sacks, he possesses a rare combination of speed, size and power that makes him hard to pass up on.

17. Cincinnati Bengals - Nick Emmanwori, Safety (South Carolina)

Whether or not the Bengals have made some progress in signing defensive end Trey Hendrickson to a long-term deal will affect their draft strategy. However, if they are able to make some progress with Hendrickson, then it makes more sense for Cincinnati to target a safety with this pick. Emmanwori had four interceptions last season, returning two of them for touchdowns. That kind of big-play ability could really help the Bengals get back in the playoffs.

18. Seattle Seahawks - Tyler Booker, Interior Offensive Lineman (Alabama)

Seattle’s biggest need is an interior offensive lineman and Booker is one of the best interior prospects in this class. While Next Gen Stats gave him a low athleticism grade, he is the typical size of an NFL guard and has displayed a high football IQ in how he blocks defenders.

19. Indianapolis Colts (Projected Trade with Tampa Bay Buccaneers) - Tyler Warren, Tight End (Penn State)

Indianapolis is perhaps the only team that needs a tight end enough to draft one in the first round this year. That is part of why trading back a few spots will not affect them too much as Tyler Warren should still be here at No. 19 overall. Warren was a dynamic player in college. While he had success as a tight end, he also played some snaps at running back and quarterback. His versatility should help him become an immediate starter for the Colts.

20. Denver Broncos - Omarion Hampton, Running Back (North Carolina)

The past two seasons, Hampton has led the ACC in rushing attempts and rushing yards with over 1,500 rushing yards each season. Denver managed to get into the playoffs last season with quarterback Bo Nix. Hampton would give them a solid running game that would make Denver a real playoff contender.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers - Jaxson Dart, Quarterback (Ole Miss)

Pittsburgh is currently facing a quarterback nightmare. The top two prospects are well out of reach and it seems they will go into the 2025 NFL Draft without knowing if Aaron Rodgers is going to sign with them. Nonetheless, even if they signed Rodgers, they have no quarterback for the future. Dart seems to have separated himself as the No. 3 quarterback available in this draft, which makes him Pittsburgh’s best available option especially since they will not pick again until No. 83 overall in the third round.

22. Los Angeles Chargers - Matthew Golden, Wide Receiver (Texas)

The Los Angeles Chargers could use a speedy receiver to go with Mike Williams and company. Golden is a polished receiver with a high football IQ. During his three years in college, Golden had 22 touchdowns, including nine last season which was the most in the SEC.

23. Los Angeles Rams (Projected Trade with Green Bay Packers) - Emeka Egbuka, Wide Receiver (Ohio State)

Los Angeles’ needs and the strengths of this draft class do not align well. However, the Rams could use a wide receiver to replace Cooper Kupp. Egbuka is a big-body receiver who has found a lot of success as a slot receiver. Thus, he would fill in the gap left by Kupp’s departure nicely. However, they would have to give Green Bay some capital in order to move up.

24. Minnesota Vikings - Derrick Harmon, Defensive Tackle (Oregon)

Minnesota could stand to improve its secondary. But, this draft does not situate itself well for teams looking to improve their secondary. Thus, Minnesota opts to improve their defensive line instead with Harmon who recorded 11 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles last season. He would be a good fit for the Vikings to improve their defense.

25. Houston Texans - Grey Zabel, Interior Offensive Lineman (North Dakota State)

Houston must improve their offensive line if they are going to be contenders this season. While they added two tackles and a guard through free agency, they could still use another guard to improve their offensive line so their quarterback, C.J. Stroud, does not get sacked 52 times like last season.

26. Green Bay Packers (Projected Trade with Los Angeles Rams) - Donovan Ezeiruaku, Edge (Boston College)

For any team looking to draft an edge rusher, this is the draft to do that. Trading back a few picks does not prevent Green Bay from getting an elite player in Ezeiruaku who was an All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year last season after leading the conference in tackles for loss (21) and sacks (16.5).

27. Baltimore Ravens - James Pearce Jr., Edge (Tennessee)

The Baltimore Ravens are a physical team on both sides of the ball, making Pearce Jr. a perfect fit for their culture. He is a physical player who finished his three-year career with 19.5 sacks, almost all of those coming in the past two seasons. Pearce Jr. also had over a dozen tackles for loss in each of the past two seasons. At this point in the draft, this is a steal for Baltimore.

28. Detroit Lions - Donovan Jackson, Interior Offensive Lineman (Ohio State)

It is a bit of a question how Detroit’s offense will look with a different offensive play caller, but they will still be looking to improve their offensive line. Jackson was a solid guard in college with the size and agility to be a starter at the NFL level.

29. Washington Commanders - Luther Burden III, Wide Receiver (Missouri)

The Commanders already have a solid wide receiver duo in Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin. However, adding Burden III to the mix could make this a scary offense. Burden III consistently found the end zone throughout his college career, scoring a total of 21 receiving touchdowns and added another four on the ground. While he needs to improve his route-running skills, Samuel and McLaurin will be good mentors for him.

30. Buffalo Bills - Walter Nolen, Defensive Tackle (Ole Miss)

Buffalo always has such a difficult time getting past the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. What could have helped when they faced Patrick Mahomes was if they got more pressure on him. In fact, in their most recent playoff matchup, they only pressured Mahomes five times versus the Philadelphia Eagles who won the Super Bowl, in part, because of getting 16 pressures and six sacks on Mahomes. That is why Buffalo uses this pick to invest in their defense. Nolen was an All-American who recorded 14 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season and could make a difference for this Buffalo defense.

31. Kansas City Chiefs - Josh Simmons, Offensive Tackle (Ohio State)

Kansas City’s offensive line struggled mightily in the Super Bowl. Then, the Chiefs traded away their top guard, Joe Thuney, to the Bears. So, they use this pick to invest in their offensive line to protect Mahomes and attempt to get back to the Super Bowl for the fourth straight season.

32. Los Angeles Chargers (Projected Trade with Philadelphia Eagles) - Colston Loveland, Tight End (Michigan)

After drafting a star wide receiver earlier in the first, Los Angeles trades back into the first round in order to acquire one of the best tight end prospects in the draft in Loveland. Each of the past two seasons, Loveland recorded over 500 receiving yards and had at least four touchdowns. This trade would also reunite Loveland with his former head coach, Jim Harbaugh.