3 players from HBCU Combine the Chicago Bears should consider in 2025 NFL Draft

GM Ryan Poles needs to leave no stone unturned this offseason as he continues to build out the Chicago Bears roster, and the HBCU Combine on Monday was a good place to start.

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The 4th Annual HBCU Combine was held in New Orleans on Monday with representatives from all 32 NFL teams in attendance. 45 players from schools that are typically overlooked in the NFL draft got one last chance to prove they can play in the NFL.

While no prospect is expected to go in Round 1 of the 2025 NFL Draft, this Combine could boost their stock for Day 2 or 3. Here are three intriguing late-round targets for Bears GM Ryan Poles.

1. Jada Byer - Running back, Virginia Union

Byer has been absolutely dominant for Virginia Union. He shattered multiple school records this year as he finished with 2,061 rushing yards and an absurd 27 touchdowns, six of which came in one game. Unfortunately, his combine performance was probably not as good as he'd hoped. He posted a 4.84 second time in the 40-yard dash, which likely limits his upside in the NFL.

Speed will be a concern, but Byer's selling point throughout his college career has always been power and contact balance, running through tackles and fighting for every extra yard. He could be a reliable option for the Bears in short yardage situations.

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2. Fred Stokes - Defensive End, Prairie View A&M

In Stokes' only year with Prairie View A&M, he put up respectable enough numbers, registering 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in twelve games. His performance at the HBCU Combine was even better, as he logged a 4.76 second 40-yard dash and a ten-foot-four broad jump. For comparison, NFL star defensive end Aiden Hutchinson ran a 4.74 second 40-yard dash and only a nine-foot-nine broad jump.

At six-foot-six and 265 pounds (unofficially), Stokes has good size for his position. As an added bonus, he's a Chicago native and we know by now that GM Ryan Poles likes to draft players who likely grew up as Bears fans.

3. Robert McDaniel - Defensive Back, Jackson State

Perhaps no other prospect boosted his draft profile at the HBCU Combine more than McDaniel, who ran a 4.5 second 40-yard dash, posted a ridiculous ten-foot-eight broad jump, and threw up 14 reps on the bench press.

He's got great size for a defensive back at six-foot-two and 207 pounds. Though he mostly played cornerback at JSU, he can also play as a safety, which is an underrated need for the Chicago Bears in 2025.

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