Here’s how the Bears could pass on an offensive lineman in first round of 2025 NFL Draft

NFL mock drafts largely agree that the Chicago Bears will pick an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. But here’s how that could change.

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Take a quick spin through the 2025 NFL mock draft landscape, and one theme becomes overwhelmingly obvious: the Chicago Bears will select an offensive lineman in the first round of the NFL Draft.

But this is the NFL Draft, where everything we think we know often gets turned on its head.

This is also the Chicago Bears offensive line, the unit that surrendered an NFL-high 68 sacks in 2024 and has at least three starting positions up for grabs as 2025 free agency approaches.

It seems unlikely that GM Ryan Poles will completely overhaul his starting five through free agency alone, which is why many mock drafts have the Bears selecting a mix of Will Campbell (OT, LSU), Kelvin Banks (OT, Texas), and Josh Simmons (OT, Ohio State).

However, longtime Bears insider and Chicago Tribune reporter Brad Biggs outlined a scenario in which Chicago could position itself to select the best player available at No. 10 overall, rather than forcing an offensive lineman who may rank lower than an edge rusher or skill player on their draft board.

"If Poles emerges from the first week of free agency with two or three offensive linemen, an edge rusher and a role-playing tight end, options open up when you think about the 10th pick," Biggs wrote. "But trying to overhaul the offensive line with only veterans when it’s a good draft for interior players could be an error. That can get expensive too. After the way last season went and how the Bears have invested on the offensive line, it would have to be something special to pull them away from taking an offensive lineman in the first round."

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Is there a 2025 NFL Draft prospect special enough to make Ryan Poles ignore the offensive line in Round 1?

Biggs didn’t completely rule out the Chicago Bears bypassing an offensive lineman with their first pick. Instead, he said it would take a special circumstance or prospect to convince Ryan Poles to ignore the team's biggest need.

Could that be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty? Perhaps the Bears have a high grade on Tennessee edge rusher James Pearce. Or what about Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham, whose weigh-in at the 2025 NFL Combine might lead to a draft-day slide?

All three prospects possess a blend of traits and strong film that could qualify as a "special circumstance." However, as Biggs pointed out, it would also require a highly successful 2025 NFL free agency period.

Poles has committed to being aggressive in targeting offensive linemen in free agency, leveraging the team’s strong salary-cap position. The Bears have already been linked to three of the top free-agent offensive linemen this year, and if they manage to land all three—Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman, and guards Will Fries (Indianapolis Colts) and Aaron Banks (San Francisco 49ers)—their first-round pick would become the true wild card of the NFL Draft.

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