Bear Digest

These 4 NFL Draft prospects dubbed 'intriguing fits' for Bears in 1st round

The Chicago Bears currently hold the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and one of these four prospects could be their choice in Round 1.

Bryan Perez

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The Chicago Bears are setting up to have quite the offseason. Already knee-deep in a head coaching search, GM Ryan Poles is armed with the fifth-most salary cap space in the NFL and three top-50 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Bears fans want change after a disappointing 2024 season, and they're going to get it.

We're still very early in Chicago's head coaching search. We're probably two weeks away from knowing who the next Bears coach will be. NFL free agency is two months away, and the 2025 draft? Yeah, that's over three months away. Change is coming to Halas Hall, but it'll take some time to get here.

Bears must prioritize offensive and defensive lines in 2025 NFL Draft

As for the NFL Draft, the Bears are expected to target one of two position groups with their first pick: Offensive line and edge rusher. And in a recent breakdown of intriguing prospects for the teams picking in this year's top 10, Pro Football Focus identified four players from those two position groups as likely fits for Chicago.

Texas offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is the player PFF sends to the Bears in their mock draft, while LSU's Will Campbell (OT), Georgia's Jalon Waker (Edge), and Texas A&M's Shemar Stewart (Edge) round out a four-pack of 2025 prospects who'd all be instant upgrades in Chicago.

"For the Bears, shoring up their offensive line should be the top priority after allowing 199 pressures this season," Trevor Sikkema wrote. "With several starters set to hit free agency, targeting versatile players like Kelvin Banks Jr. or Will Campbell—both capable of excelling at tackle or guard—would be a logical move to provide immediate stability and long-term solutions in the trenches."

LSU Tigers offensive tackle Will Campbell (66) in action
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Bears fans will riot if Poles doesn't take every step possible this offseason to fix the offensive line. And that means Banks and Campbell are the obvious choices, unless he focuses most of the Bears' free agency resources on veteran starters up front. It's a costly strategy that's usually deployed by teams on the cusp of the Super Bowl, but with so much riding on the success of Caleb Williams, Poles doesn't have much of a chocie.

As far as which NFL Draft prospect is the right fit for the Bears? I'm leaning toward Campbell, even with the questions about his ability to play offensive tackle in the NFL.

It's true that guards rarely are selected with a top-10 pick, but NFL defenses have evolved quite a bit in recent years and the emphasis on interior pressure has made guards and centers much more valuable than, say, 10 years ago.

If Cambell settles in as a Pro Bowl guard? That's a huge win for a Chicago Bears offensive line that lacks the kind of blue-chip talent he possesses.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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