From hiring Ben Johnson as their new head coach to their free agency spending spree, the Chicago Bears have spent the offseason reshaping their entire franchise. The 2025 NFL Draft will give the Bears another opportunity to continue formulating their new foundation.
Chicago holds four picks inside the top 75, including No. 10 overall. While they were able to fill many of their roster holes in free agency, this is still a Bears team coming off of a 5-12 campaign. Finding the right talent to mesh on Johnson’s roster will be crucial for Chicago success in 2025 and beyond.
General Manager Ryan Poles knows the challenge ahead of him. He is entering his fourth draft with the Bears. As Poles calculates each draft pick, and continues putting the roster puzzle pieces together, Poles has one main goal in mind, via ESPN.
“We’re looking to establish an identity,” the general manager said.
“We’ve been able to make some really good moves to set us up with O-line and D-line. That puts us in a position to attack the draft with a best available mindset,” Poles continued. “We’re excited about that.”
“We want to add impact players,” he concluded. “Guys that can come in and move the needle for us to really put the opposing side in a tough situation where they have to adapt to us and we can kind of dictate terms as we move forward. So far just working with Ben and seeing what he wants, just in terms of the vision of the football team based on the style and scheme. We know that we can accomplish that in this draft.”
Current Chicago Bears identity
While Johnson’s arrival has brought some much needed optimism to Chicago, the stats paint a much bleaker story. The Bears haven’t been to the postseason since 2020 and they haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. The 2018 campaign was the last time Chicago had a record over .500.
The Bears’ 2024 season highlighted – or lowlighted – just how bad things had gotten for the franchise. Chicago went through numerous embarrassing losses, lowlighted – definitely lowlighted – by their Hail Mary loss to the Washington Commanders. Matt Eberflus became the first head coach fired midseason in Bears history.
Defensively, Chicago lost any standing Eberflus might have built, ranking 27th by allowing 354.3 yards per game. But the Bears truly bottomed out offensively, ranking dead last by averaging just 284.6 YPG. Their pass game never found their footing, ranking second-to-last by averaging 181.5 YPG.
The pieces are in place for an offensive revival. Johnson is considered one of the brightest minds in the NFL. Quarterback Caleb Williams was the No. 1 overall pick for a reason. Chicago bolstered their offensive line. The list of reasons for optimism can go on. But until the Bears prove it on the field, they’re still in the league’s cellar.
Ryan Poles draft history
The 2022 NFL Draft marked Poles first with the Bears. While he didn’t have a first-round pick to work with, the general manager’s first selection in Chicago was cornerback Kyler Gordon. Gordon has solidified his role as Chicago’s slot cornerback of the present and future. And Poles has been open about wanting to sign him to a contract selection.
Following Gordon was safety Jaquan Brisker. He played in just five games in 2024 due to concussion. But when healthy he has shined, and Brisker is poised to start next to Kevin Byard in the secondary. Left tackle Braxton Jones, who came in the fifth-round, is also slated to start. Although coming up on his contract year, he’ll need to prove himself to keep his job. Still, Poles found a starting left tackle in the fifth-round.
He found a starting right tackle in Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick in 2023. Gervon Dexter came in the second-round that year while cornerback Tyrique Stevenson followed. Goal line back Roschon Johnson was selected in the fourth-round while potential starting linebacker Noah Sewell was picked in the fifth, alongside cornerback Terell Smith.
But it hasn’t all been roses during Poles’ tenure. He took Velus Jones in the third-round in 2022. He made 12 catches for 135 yards and one touchdown over his three-year tenure. Tyler Scott, a fourth-rounder in 2023 looks to be another struggling wide receiver. He has 18 catches for 173 scoreless yards. And while defensive lineman Zacch Pickens was a third-rounder in 2023, he has just 39 tackles, four quarterback hits and 1.5 sacks to his name.
The 2024 draft will define Poles’ tenure with the Bears. That’s when Williams arrived, alongside wide receiver Rome Odunze. The pair will form Chicago’s offensive foundation for the foreseeable future. And if that foundation is as strong as Poles and the Bears are predicting, there will be an offensive renaissance in the Windy City.
Now, Poles is up for his next task. While the Bears have plenty of draft capital to work with, the general manager must ensure each selection is used to get Chicago closer to contention.
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