TALLAHASSEE, FL – NOVEMBER 02: Runningback Omarion Hampton #28 of the North Carolina Tar Heels give … More
Everything is about Ben Johnson, Caleb Williams and the offense for the Bears.
General Manager Ryan Poles heads into the draft expected to prioritize the side of the ball where Chicago’s new head coach made his reputation. The goal is to help Johnson recreate the success he had while drawing up plays for the Detroit Lions’ offense, this time behind young quarterback Caleb Williams.
Williams, the first overall pick in last year’s draft, has the upside to become the most productive quarterback in franchise history (not a high bar). In the short run, Poles needs an offense that ends the second-guessing about selecting Williams over Jayden Daniels, who led Washington to 12 wins as a rookie.
Among the keys for the Lions in Johnson’s three seasons as offensive coordinator were a strong line, explosive running backs and a pass-catching tight end. Poles has already upgraded the middle of the offensive line through trades and free agency, so the Bears can get creative in trying to tailor their talent to Williams, who was sacked 68 times as a rookie.
“We have a lot of flexibility in what we can do right now,” Johnson told the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer at an NFL owners’ meetings early April. “I think Ryan and I feel really good about the position we’re in.”
The Bears hold the 10th overall pick, and it’s easy to link them to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, who combined for 4190 yards and 42 touchdowns last season. They’ve also studied potential left tackles, as Braxton Jones is still recovering from a right leg that was broken in December (and will be a free agent after 2025). Scouts generally put LSU’s Will Campbell and Missouri’s Armand Membou atop a deep group of tackle in this draft class.
If we assume the Bears hold the same evaluations, they’d happily grab Jeanty, Warren, Campbell or Membou with the 10th pick. If all four are already taken, the choice seemingly comes down to either taking the best available player, regardless of fit on the roster or over-drafting a lesser running back, tight end or tackle.
But on Thursday night Poles could opt to trade the 10th pick to collect more players and put himself into a better position to attack the Bears’ needs. This shouldn’t be surprising, as he has a history following this path.
The Bears hold seven picks: the one in the first round, two in the second (39 and 41), one in the third (72), one in the fifth (148) and two in the seventh round (233 and 240).
Most draft analysts have concluded there are three tiers of running backs. Jeanty is at a level all his own, drawing comparisons to LaDainian Tomlinson. He’s expected to be treated like Bijan Robinson (eighth pick, 2023) and Saquon Barkley (second pick, 2018).
North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton, who has run for over 1500 yards in back-to-back seasons, is the only other running back likely to be taken in the first round. There there is everyone else. That group is headed by Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins; Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson; Tennessee’s Dylan Sampson; Central Florida’s RJ Harvey, and the most polarizing guy in the group, Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo.
If Poles can’t get Jeanty, Campbell, Membou or Warren, his best option may be to manipulate his way down about 10 spots in the first round and cross his fingers Hampton is still on the board. If he is gone, the play would be to add the best available tackle from a group of five that could be available (Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr.;, Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson — who some teams regard more as a guard — and Josh Simmons; Oregon’s Josh Conerly Jr., and Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery.
Should Hampton be the Bears’ pick in the first round, Poles could earmark the first of his two second-round choices to take a tackle, believing some of the names above would probably still be available. The choice then is whether to use the 41st overall pick on a highly regarded tight end (LSU’s Mason Taylor or Miami’s Elijah Arroyo, assuming Michigan’s Colston Loveland is already taken) or to trade down again, trusting in the depth of the tight end class.
Multiple trades sliding downward would allow the Bears to pile up picks, making it easier to add a safety (Texas’ Andrew Mukuba?), upgrade overall depth and find some future starters who would help the salary cap situation in 2027 and beyond, when Williams will transition off his rookie contract.
In one recent mock draft using Pro Football Focus’ software, I was able to make five trades while playing the role of Poles, including two in the first round.
Swapping spots with Dallas (12 overall) allowed the Bears to add a second-rounder (44) for a third-rounder (72). A subsequent deal gave the Chargers the 12th overall pick for the 22nd overall and a second-rounder (55).
In that exercise, Hampton was available for the Bears in the first round and they wound up with their tight end (Arroyo) in the third round. I traded down with the 41st, 44th and 56th overall picks and wound up with a haul of 11 players, including nine taken in the first 148 picks.
After Hampton and Conerly, I wound up with a top defensive lineman (Tennessee’s Omarr Norman-Lott), two safeties (Penn State’s Kevin Winston and Clemson’s R.J. Mickens), a tight end (Arroyo), a wide receiver (Utah State’s Jalen Royals), an edge defender (UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladeji), a cornerback (Virginia Tech’s Dorian Strong), a center (Ohio State’s Seth McLaughlin) and a second tackle (Iowa State’s Jalen Travis).
No doubt this is easier (and a lot faster) on a computer than at the draft itself but it’s a scenario Poles could follow if one of his coveted headliners isn’t still on the board when it’s time to make the 10th pick. Thursday night is going to be especially interesting for Chicago fans.
Read the full article here