Bear Digest

Ben Johnson’s mind blown by Chicago Bears’ offense-heavy mock 2025 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson
Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears rookie head coach Ben Johnson loves himself some scoring.

Last season, his final campaign as Detroit’s offensive coordinator, the 38-year-old offensive wiz led the Lions to 4,718 passing yards (second in the league), 2,488 rushing yards (sixth), 39 touchdowns (third), 409.5 yards per game (second), and 564 points (tops).

So yeah. Dude likes track meets.

The current Bears roster isn’t track meet material, so come NFL Draft weekend, the rookie sideline general could well insist that Chicago GM Ryan Poles go all offense, all the time.

Poles, a former offensive lineman, might not actually need much in the way of convincing.

To that end, here’s an all-Bears, all-offense-all-the-time seven-round mock draft that, if it comes to some semblance of fruition, would make Ben Johnson a happy, happy boy.


Round One (10)

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State

NFL Player Comp: Rob Gronkowski

Scout’s Take: “Warren plays with swagger and ‘best player on the field’ energy. He imprints on games with alignment versatility, allowing opportunities for play-callers to stress the defense.” (NFL.com)

  • The Scoop: The general consensus is that lusted-after RB Ashton Jeanty won’t be on the board when the Bears are on the clock, possibly making Warren the most logical playmaker available. If Ben Johnson is in a tight-end-or-bust mood, trading down for Michigan’s Colston Loveland could be a thing.

Round Two (39)

TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

NFL Player Comp: David Montgomery

Scout’s Take: “Henderson is well-built and offers a low center of gravity and explosive burst. He projects well to gap schemes, thanks to that burst to explode through holes and break pursuit angles on the second level.” (The 33rd Team)

  • The Scoop: If Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton didn’t exist, Henderson would be a worthy first-round selection. But Jeanty and Hampton are, indeed, alive, so Johnson will be happy to grab a day one talent on day two.

Round Two (41 via CAR)

Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State

NFL Player Comp: Christian Kirk

Scout’s Take: “He can be an explosive threat but also does enough in-between stuff to contribute to winning football. He’s an ideal type of secondary receiver." (Yahoo Sports)

  • The Scoop: Whether or not they’ll admit it, the Bears very much need a slot receiver, and coming off of a 1,194-yard, eight-touchdown senior year, the 5’11” speedster—we’re talking a 4.39 combine 40—could fill that role immediately.

Round Three (72)

Anthony Belton, OT, N.C. State

NFL Player Comp: Cam Robinson

Scout’s Take: “Belton wins as a run blocker using his big body, long arms and heavy hands to cover up targets on angle-drive blocks with the power to displace and create rush lanes." (Bleacher Report)

The Scoop: What with the Joe Thuney, Jonah Jackson, and Drew Dalman acquisitions, Poles and Johnson have the luxury of waiting to address the trenches until day two. At 6’6” and 336 pounds, Belton is a muscular behemoth who moves well for his thickness. If he improves his footwork, he could be a rotation player during his rookie season.


Round Five (148)

Sai’vion Jones, EDGE, LSU

NFL Player Comp: Jalyn Holmes

Scout’s Take: “Jones moves violently and aggressively chops down or rips through the arms of blockers, but he can improve his effectiveness in disengaging with faster hands.” (Draft Network)

The Scoop: As is the case with Belton, since Poles inked free agent DE Dayo Odeyingbo, he’s able to grab his EDGE on day three. Jones put together a solid senior year, with 19 solo tackles and 4.5 sacks, impressive numbers for a meh Tigers D.


Round Seven (233 via CIN)

Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa

NFL Player Comp: Grant Stuard

Scout’s Take: “Sideline-to-sideline motor. Routinely cleans up plays all over the field.” (NFL Draft Buzz)

  • The Scoop: As it sits now, the Chicago’s linebacker room is thin—with apologies to Noah Sewell, after T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edumunds, the cupboard is relatively bare—and while you can’t expect much from a seventh-rounder, the fifth-year senior put together back-to-back 124-plus tackle seasons, so who knows. His four interceptions last year sure won’t hurt his draft stock.

Round Seven (240 via MIN)

Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame

NFL Player Comp: Taysom Hill

Scout’s Take: “Leonard possesses exceptional athleticism and will immediately become one of the best running quarterbacks in the NFL.” (PFF)

The Scoop: It’s been said that teams should draft a quarterback each and every year, something the Bears most definitely haven’t done. During his one season in South Bend, Leonard led the Irish to a 14-2 record, tossing 21 touchdowns to just eight interceptions, and compiling a scary 139.6 QBR. He could marinate on the practice squad and might eventually evolve into a quality QB2.


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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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