Bear Digest

Travis Hunter to the Browns could reshape the Chicago Bears’ approach to the 2025 NFL Draft

Alan Goldsher|
Will Travis Hunter and his Heisman Trophy find a home in the Buckeye State?
Will Travis Hunter and his Heisman Trophy find a home in the Buckeye State? | Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

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Chicago BearsCleveland Browns

For the last however-many months, pigskin pundits throughout the land have consistently mock drafted Penn State EDGE rusher Abdul Carter to Cleveland, a logical choice, as Carter has the talent to justify a number-two selection, plus he’d make a fantastic D-line bestie for Browns beast Myles Garrett.

Over the last 24-ish hours, however, much of the punditry has pivoted.

Well-Connected NFL Insiders Speak

Yesterday on his podcast, Adam Schefter—who’s pretty good at this sort of thing—explained that early on in the NFL Draft process, the Browns were leaning toward scooping up a quarterback, but once they accepted the fact that Tennessee will likely choose Miami’s Cam Ward with the top pick, they pivoted to Carter.

But Schefty added, “The latest intel [tells me] that Travis Hunter is the pick today.”

ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. is also on the Hunter-to-Cleveland train, sending the Heisman Trophy winner to the Buckeye State in his new mock, explaining, “[The Browns need] more pass-catching talent. Hunter—my No. 1 overall prospect—has a ‘wow’ factor to his game, and he could use his speed, ball skills, instincts, and elusiveness to become an impact player right out of the gate.”

If Schefter and Kiper are both on point, how does this impact the Chicago Bears?

Domino Effect

If Hunter does indeed come off the board at the two spot, the New York Giants might well grab Carter—who can blame them; he’s the scariest EDGE in a draft filled with scary EDGEs—and snatch up their quarterback (Jalen Milroe, anybody?) on day two.

That all will bum out the New England Patriots, who have been eyeballing Hunter for months, so they might bring in LSU tackle Will Campbell, one of the draft class’s top—if not the top—O-linemen.

There, ladies and gents, in an appealing option who Bears GM Ryan Poles will have to erase from his big board.

The Hunter pick won’t have any impact on the Jacksonville Jaguars at five, who have been linked to Michigan D-lineman Mason Graham for months, nor will it affect the Las Vegas Raiders, who will almost definitely grab Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty at six, another blow to the Bears.

The New York Jets have needs all across the field, and Mizzou offensive tackle Armand Membou would fill one of them—although Penn State tight end Tyler Warren is also in the mix.

At eight, the Carolina Panthers are expected to grab Georgia EDGE Jalon Walker, while at nine, the New Orleans Saints are expected to grab…who knows? The need a receiver, but this is an average draft for WRs, so using the ninth pick for a 15th-pick-level talent likely won’t be a thing.

In his abovementioned mock, Kiper goes against the grain and has the Saints taking a chance on mercurial Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, so for the sake of this thought experiment, we’ll roll with Mel.

So how does this all change the Bears' approach to the 2025 NFL Draft?

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

This scenario leaves Chicago with three logical options:

  • Select Warren, who could capably compliment or replace Cole Kmet.
  • Select Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, arguably the best player available.
  • Trade down.

Being that neither Warren nor Johnson will catapult the Bears to the top of the NFC North, picking up additional draft capital—if Poles can find the right draft partner (we’re talking to you, Cincinnati Bengals)—would seem to make the most sense.

Did Cleveland Mess Up Chicago’s Draft Night?

If day one plays out as such, the biggest frustration for Chicago would be missing out on both of the draft's top O-linemen in Campbell and Membou. But if it leads to a well-executed trade-down, everybody walks away happy.

Except for the New England Patriots. They’ll be bummed.

Published
Alan Goldsher
ALAN GOLDSHER

Alan Goldsher has written about sports for Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Apple, Playboy, NFL.com, and NBA.com, and he’s the creator of the Chicago Sports Stuff Substack. He’s the bestselling author of 15 books, and the founder/CEO of Gold Note Records. Alan lives in Chicago, where he writes, makes music, and consumes and creates way too much Bears content. You can visit him at http://www.AlanGoldsher.com and http://x.com/AlanGoldsher.

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