Bear Digest

Chicago Bears fans share overwhelming take on whether to select Ashton Jeanty in 2025 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears fans know their football, which is why their strong take on drafting Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft carries weight.

Bryan Perez

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Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is widely regarded by NFL Draft analysts as having talent comparable to past top picks like Jahmyr Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, and Saquon Barkley.

With the Chicago Bears looking to upgrade their backfield this offseason, it's no surprise that Jeanty has been linked to them as a potential selection at No. 10 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

However, most of these connections come from NFL media and analysts who aren’t in tune with the Bears' day-to-day reality. That’s why I felt it was worth asking Bears fans for their take on Chicago potentially drafting Jeanty in the first round.

The response speaks for itself. Check it out:

More than 600 fans participated in this poll, and more than 80% voted against the idea of Jeanty as the Bears' first-round target.

Some fans added context to their vote, like Jim Marlowe, who said he could change his mind Chicago builds up the offensive and defensive lines in free agency.

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty poses for a photo during a press conference before the 2024 Heisman Trophy Pre
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Ashton Jeanty doesn't make sense for the Chicago Bears in 2025 NFL Draft

I get it. The best teams select the best players available in the first round of the NFL Draft, regardless of need. But running back is a unicorn position; even if the best player available is a running back, the team selecting him better be really close to making a deep playoff run to justify the pick.

The Chicago Bears aren’t that team. The offensive line isn’t strong enough to protect Caleb Williams, let alone support a running game led by a top-10 pick. Passing on the best available offensive lineman to select a running back in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft would go against the way winning teams are built.

Indeed, it would be a blast to see Jeanty, who ran for more than 2,600 yards in 2024, share the same backfield as Williams. But that blast would quickly turn into a nightmare, watching him get stuffed at the line of scrimmage carry after carry because of the horrendous offensive line in front of him.

Chicago Bears fans are smart. And they made the right vote.

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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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