Bear Digest

Chicago Bears' ideal 2025 NFL Draft scenario might not be what fans want

The Chicago Bears' dream scenario in the 2025 NFL Draft might not match fan expectations, but it could be the move the franchise needs.
Bryan Perez|
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The 2025 NFL draft is less than three weeks away, and as we get closer to the Chicago Bears' first-round pick finally being revealed, the shift among Bears fans for the position they want GM Ryan Poles to target at No. 10 overall has been massive.

Gone are the days of Bears fans being trench drunk. Sure, there's still a large slice of Bears Nation who believes the roster must add a left tackle in Round 1, but the momentum for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty or even Penn State tight end Tyler Warren being the preferred choice is very, very real.

That's why a recent breakdown of every team's dream scenario in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft might come as a disappointment for Bears fans.

Chicago's dream scenario was all about the offensive line and LSU left tackle Will Campbell.

"While everyone is focused on QBs and primo defenders," Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon wrote of what could happen in the picks before Chicago is on the clock, "offensive tackle Will Campbell slides to the bottom of the top 10 and the Bears have their long-term answer on Caleb Williams' blind side."

This scenario is great, in theory. NFL teams can't go wrong selecting offensive linemen in the first round. And, sure, the player can become a bust, but the process behind using high draft capital to strengthen the most important position group in the sport is always good.

And the Bears do need a long-term left tackle solution if they aren't sold on Braxton Jones.

What matters most for the Bears and Poles is getting their 2025 first-round pick right. Gambling on a player like Campbell, whose wingspan is among the smallest in recent NFL draft history for offensive tackles, is a risk that might not be worth taking. Instead, Missouri's Armand Membou might be the more dreamy scenario for the Chicago Bears at No. 10.

Sidenote: I'm by no means suggesting Campbell won't be a very good (if not great) offensive lineman in the NFL. I'm just not sure he will overcome his physical limitations at offensive tackle. Instead, he should get kicked inside to guard or center, where the Bears no longer have a need great enough to justify spending a first-round pick on an interior offensive lineman.

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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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