Chicago Bears earn high 2025 NFL Draft grade from ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr.

The Chicago Bears impressed longtime NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. with their 2025 haul.

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The Chicago Bears didn't have the kind of 2025 NFL Draft that most fans and analysts expected. The projections leading up to draft weekend focused mainly on left tackle, edge rusher, and running back being high-ranking first-round targets, yet the Bears ended up taking a right tackle in the second round and didn't add a running back until the seventh round. As for edge rusher? They didn't draft one.

What GM Ryan Poles did do was level up the weapons around quarterback Caleb Williams with the selections of tight end Colston Loveland in the first round and wide receiver Luther Burden III in the second. Already armed with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze at wide receiver, Williams will begin the 2025 season with one of the most impressive young skill groups in the NFC.

ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. agrees. He gave the Chicago Bears a B+ for their 2025 NFL Draft results.

"The Bears took tight end Colston Loveland, who has seam-stretching ability and had nine TD catches over the past two seasons," Kiper wrote. "New coach Ben Johnson comes from Detroit, where he had Sam LaPorta heavily involved in the pass game. Now, he will have Loveland and Cole Kmet at the position. Chicago would have loved it if Ashton Jeanty fell to No. 10 to jump-start the run game -- and I prefer Tyler Warren among the tight ends in this class -- but Poles is clearly doing whatever is necessary to get Williams where the Bears need him."

The Warren vs. Loveland debate will be fun to monitor as their careers unfold, but for what the Bears need in their offense, Loveland was an obvious choice. His pass-catching and route-running chops are superior to Warren's, and that's what makes his fit in Johnson's offense so fun.

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"Luther Burden III is an explosive after-the-catch merchant who will join a solid receiver room," Kiper wrote about the Bears' top choice in Round 2. "Ozzy Trapilo could see work at left tackle, with Braxton Jones working back from an ankle injury. Seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai might not be Jeanty, but he ran for 1,200-plus yards in back-to-back seasons and has some of the best ball security among the class' RBs. Luke Newman is probably moving inside to center behind Dalman."

So, why didn't the Bears earn an A from Kiper? The fact Poles didn't add a true edge rusher from this year's draft knocked Chicago's final grade down a tier, but with so much emphasis placed on the development of Williams in 2025, a draft class like this makes a ton of sense.

More Chicago Bears News:

• Grading the Chicago Bears' pick of TE Colston Loveland in first round of 2025 NFL Draft

• 2025 NFL Draft: 4 reasons why the Bears selected Colston Loveland in the first round

• 2025 NFL Draft: Grading the Chicago Bears' selection of RB Kyle Monangai in the 7th round

• Chicago Bears get slammed by Clay Matthews as 2025 NFL Draft begins