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Chicago Bears' strong presence at top prospect's pro day offers 2025 NFL Draft clue

The 2025 college pro day circuit is in high gear, and the Chicago Bears may have tipped their hand with their strong presence to watch one top prospect perform.

Bryan Perez

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Bears head coach Ben Johnson has been in the lab grinding film as he begins his quest to bring a Super Bowl champtionship to Chicago. But even the hardest working guys need to get out of the office every once in a while.

And that's what Johnson did this week when he attended Michigan's pro day ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Johnson's kept a relatively low profile during Draft season, so word of his presence in Ann Harbor is noteworthy. The more high-ranking Bears decision-makers who show up to watch a first-round prospect perform, the more likely that prospect ranks high on their NFL Draft wish list.

Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen was there, too.

It doesn't take an NFL Draft expert to connect the dots, here.

Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham is considered one of the five best prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there's no doubt GM Ryan Poles would love for him to slide to No. 10 overall. There's a chance he could suffer a first-round fall, especially if two (or even three!) quarterbacks get selected before Chicago is on the clock.

"Three-technique who provides activity, effort, strength and quickness," NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote of Graham in his scouting report. "Graham’s first-step quickness makes interior disruption inevitable. He has the instant read and response to regularly beat lateral blocks. He’s stout at the point of attack with great leverage and body control but will lose some ground against double teams. Graham’s lack of length makes it tougher for him to find quick wins as a rusher, but he more than makes up for it with his activity level and foot quickness. Harmonious hands and feet are the catalyst for his edge-to-edge counters, while his extended effort and closing burst help him get home. He may not dominate as a pro but his strength, body control and quickness should allow him to play his brand of ball and become a good starter in an upfield defensive front."

Defensive lineman Mason Graham (55) walks up the tunnel for halftime
Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Bears signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in the first wave of 2025 free agency, but Jarrett is entering his 11th season, and Father Time is undefeated. He should have plenty of gas left in the tank for at least two productive years, but adding a long-term defensive cornerstone like Graham would be too enticing to pass up, even with Jarrett on the roster.

Ben Johnson's attendance at Michigan's pro day could, of course, be because he wanted to get eyes on an offensive prospect. Tight end Colston Loveland is the Wolverines' top skill player available. He should get selected somewhere in the later portion of the first round. But that's about it.

The next highest-ranked prospects on offense from Michigan are late-round/PFA running backs Donovan Edwards and Kalel Mullings. Neither player is of the caliber that would pull Johnson out of his film room.

At a time in the football calendar where everyone is searching for clues, Johnson showing up at Michigan's pro day is a huge one.

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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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