4 ways the Chicago Bears can ace the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft

There's more than one way for the Chicago Bears to earn an 'A' in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

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The moment the NFL Draft concludes every year, fans across the league rush to see how their team fared in the eyes of the experts.

It's no different for Chicago Bears fans. In fact, NFL draft grades might hold more weight for Bears fans who've become accustomed to the draft being the highlight of their football year.

The 2025 NFL Draft will give general manager Ryan Poles a fantastic opportunity to ace his first-round pick, No. 10 overall. In fact, it's difficult imagining a scenario in which he can really mess things up.

Here are four ways Poles and the Chicago Bears can ace this year's first round.

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Finish the offensive line rebuild

The Bears have done a remarkable job rebuilding their offensive line this offseason. Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman are massive upgrades along the interior, but one position remains untouched: left tackle.

Poles can go in several directions in the first round if he decides he wants to use Chicago's pick to finish the job.

LSU's Will Campbell could slide to No. 10 overall because of concerns about his arm length. He's the best pure offensive lineman in this year's draft and would be an upgrade over Braxton Jones, assuming Poles is comfortable with his sub-33-inch arms.

Missouri's Armand Membou has perhaps the most upside of any offensive tackle in the 2025 NFL Draft, and his athletic testing at the NFL Combine suggests he'll have little trouble switching from right tackle to left tackle in the pros.

Ohio State's Josh Simmons would've been the top offensive tackle on every pre-draft ranking had he not suffered a serious knee injury in 2024. He should be on the board when the Bears pick, and if his medicals check out OK, Poles can draft and stash him behind Jones early in the season and unleash him once he's 100 percent healthy and ready to go.

Here's the point: The Bears can finish the offensive line story at No. 10 overall with any of these prospects, and they'll earn an A.

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Select running back Ashton Jeanty

If the Chicago Bears are confident they can land a left tackle with one of their two second-round picks, and Jeanty slides to their selection in the first round, there'd be few complaints if Poles pulls the trigger and selects a running back in the first round.

The Bears' roster is shockingly well-rounded and almost complete. One of the few obvious areas the team could afford an upgrade is at running back, where D'Andre Swift underwhelmed in his debut season in 2024.

Enter Jeanty, who's viewed as a prospect along the lines of Saquon Barkley and Bijan Robinson.

Ben Johnson won't shy away from selecting a running back as talented as Jeanty in the first round. He has first-hand experience with what a dynamic runner can do for his offense after having so much success with Jahmyr Gibbs the last two years.

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Trade up for edge rusher Abdul Carter

There are a few teams picking ahead of the Bears that are much further away from competing in 2025 and who could use extra draft capital to build their roster. The New England Patriots immediately come to mind.

The Patriots currently hold the fourth pick, and if Penn State star pass rusher Abdul Carter slides to that pick -- which could happen if both the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants select a quarterback -- Poles and the Bears should give New England a call and see what it would take to move up.

Chicago has the draft capital needed to jump from 10 to four; the Bears own two of the first 10 picks in the second round. If Poles packages both of those selections with the 10, it might be enough to land Carter, who'd single-handedly transform Dennis Allen's defense in 2025.

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Trade back and stockpile more future picks

There's also the option to trade down, which draft purists would love.

There's a pretty good chance that the player who's on the board at No. 10 won't be much different than a player the Bears could select at pick 12,15 or 17. If one of the top quarterbacks or tight end Tyler Warren is a must-have for a club selecting a few spots down the draft order, Poles should consider trading back and stockpiling more picks.

Remember: The Bears don't have an absolute need that they must address in the first round. It's a powerful position; they can manipulate the first-round board, add more picks, and still come away with a foundational player regardless of position.

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