Intel: Chicago Bears Aren’t Excited About Their Options At #25 — And What It Means
It is now T-minus less than a month before the 2026 NFL draft. The Chicago Bears have been remarkably quiet following their initial surge in free agency. There have been precious few updates on the scouting trail regarding meetings and pro days. Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson might be trying to keep things as close to the vest as possible. However, there could be another explanation. One that figures to shake things up when the action begins on opening night.
SM has been informed by people close to the situation inside Halas Hall that there isn’t much excitement among coaches and scouts about the potential options at the 25th pick. After running several simulations, optimism isn’t high that any of the players they like will fall to the Bears. This has led to discussions about the splash scenario: trading out.
Mind you, it isn’t a discussion about just trading down to collect picks. Conversations are ongoing about the possibility of moving up for somebody they want, or even flipping the pick to another team for a proven player.
The Chicago Bears know they are in an awkward spot.
Most experts agree this draft class is light on blue-chip talent. Matt Miller of ESPN listed only 11 names he considered legitimate 1st rounder. That means the odds of one of them slipping to #25 are remote. This puts Poles in a bind. Does he try moving up to see if he can snag one? Or does he wait to see if one drops? If not, he would then engage other teams in moving down to a spot he’s more comfortable taking one of the remaining names on the board, collecting some extra picks along the way.
The obvious question is who the Bears would move up for. If we go by Miller’s list from last month, there are four plausible names that could fall far enough to encourage the team to move up.
- Wide receiver Makai Lemon
- Running back Jeremiyah Love
- Edge rusher Rueben Bain
- Safety Caleb Downs
Lemon isn’t an elite athlete but has the specific skill set that Coach Johnson would covet. Love is a running back, and teams are often reluctant to spend high 1st rounders on them. Bain is surrounded by concerns about his length and physical ceiling. Downs plays a non-premium position without any elite measurables. Yet all four can be called really good football players who would make the Bears better.
The odds favor Chicago trying to move down.
It makes logistical sense. Remember, the Chicago Bears are in the midst of a roster transition. Salary cap issues forced them to unload several starters from last season. D.J. Moore, Tremaine Edmunds, Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson are all gone. This is without mentioning their established needs at left tackle, center, defensive tackle, and edge rusher. They didn’t have enough salary cap space to address everything. That means they need the draft to pick up the slack.
As things stand, the Bears have seven picks, including four in the first three rounds. That is a good spot to be in, but they may need more. Depth remains a concern at several positions, and they have no picks in the 5th or 6th rounds. Moving down from #25 would help add more, giving them flexibility. As always, it all depends on finding a team willing to come out. There are a few picking at the top of the 2nd round who might be hoping to land a quarterback or a wide receiver. No doubt Poles will be getting phone calls. We’ll see if he gets an offer he can live with.