Bear Digest

2025 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears linked to electrifying Day 2 running back prospect

The Chicago Bears will have plenty of exciting options at running back if they miss out on Ashton Jeanty in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bryan Perez|
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It isn't a matter of if the Chicago Bears will select a running back in the 2025 NFL Draft. Instead, it's a matter of when.

That 'when' could be as early as the 10th overall pick if Boise State star Ashton Jeanty experiences a first-round slide. General manager Ryan Poles could even potentially pull a draft-day shocker and still use his first-rounder on a running back even if Jeanty is selected, as UNC's Omarion Hampton is enjoying a surge in his draft stock.

But the most likely scenario is the Bears spending a second-round pick on a running back, and one prospect immediately jumps to mind: Iowa's Kaleb Johnson.

Johnson is at the forefront of any Bears NFL Draft analysis for more reasons than just his incredible film; he's been consistently mentioned as a potential Day-2 target for Chicago, including in a new breakdown of the most polarizing players in this year's draft class by ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

"One of the most productive running backs in the draft class finished 2024 with 1,537 rushing yards on 6.4 yards per carry and 21 rushing scores," Fowler wrote. "Most evaluators consulted for this story have Johnson as a late Day 2 pick, while noting that fit will be crucial for him.

Fowler noted an AFC executive confirming what most NFL draft analysts have been saying about Johnson throughout the process: he must go to a wide zone rushing team.

Naturally, Fowler listed the Chicago Bears among five teams that are expected to deploy that style of rushing attack in 2025. Hand, meet glove.

The beauty of the 2025 NFL draft is that the Bears could (and probably should) avoid the temptation of selecting a running back in the first round and still come away with a massive upgrade at the position at pick 39 or 41. Johnson is just one example. Other strong prospects the Chicago Bears should consider in the second round include Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, and Arizona State's Cam Skattebo.

Here's the main takeaway: the Bears will draft a running back. And it will be an exciting running back, whether or not it's Ashton Jeanty.

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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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