Do the Bears have the league's best rookie class?

The Bears wouldn't be 11-5 and in position to host at least one playoff game if not for their standout rookie class. No one would've expected that to be the case early in the season, as they had minimal contributions over their disappointing 0-2 start.

However, they've had a few players come through clutch on countless occasions. They've earned much due praise for their play in recent weeks.

Have they done enough to deserve the title of the best class in the league?

That's a loaded question, and one that won't be answered anytime soon. With that said, there are few factors in Chicago's favor in the conversation.

For starters, their first two selections, tight end Colston Loveland, whom they selected with the tenth pick, and receiver Luther Burden III, who was selected with the 39th pick, have developed into key contributors on offense. In fact, they're playing like two of the best rookies in the league.

Complete list of NFL rookies who have amassed at least 420 yards receiving since Week 9:

Colston Loveland 506
Luther Burden III 446
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) January 1, 2026

While some were quick to jump off the bandwagon of their top two selections early on, it's safe to say the Bears brass wouldn't change a thing if given a mulligan. They look like key contributors for years to come.

Their third selection, tackle Ozzy Trapilo, whom they selected with the 56th pick, looked like a swing and a miss early on. He struggled to make the jump to the left side (he predominantly played right tackle at Boston College), and it appeared the coaching staff was quick to give up on the project. He got beat out by a former undrafted free agent, Theo Benedet, at left tackle, and they moved him back to the right to play behind Darnell Wright.

Trapilo received another opportunity to play on the left side after Benedet was forced to miss the Week 12 game against Pittsburgh. The 23-year-old made the most of it, as he played remarkably well in Benedet's absence. The left tackle position was previously the lone weakness along Chicago's offensive line, and he's been a stabilizing force there since entering the lineup.

While the sample size has been relatively small, Trapilo appears to have stamped his name at left tackle. I don't think they'll be in a hurry to try to upgrade the position this offseason and will instead allocate their resources to the defensive side of the ball.

On top of the early round success, they also landed one of the top steals in the entire class with the seventh-round selection of Kyle Monangai. He has proven to be the perfect complement to D'Andre Swift and is a major reason the team ranks third in rushing with 149.4 yards per game.

Kyle Monangai is currently 7th in #Bears history with 731 rushing yards by a rookie running back.

He needs 136 more to pass Bears legend Gale Sayers.

For Monangai to not get any real touches till nearly halfway through the season, that's impressive.

This guy has ROCKED. pic.twitter.com/kijAXvmg0m
— Just Another Year Chicago: Bears (@JAYChi_Bears) December 26, 2025

On top of the key offensive contributors, it also looks like they landed a quality backup guard with the sixth-round selection of Luke Newman, who more than held his own when Jonah Jackson went down with an injury against the Steelers. Defensive lineman Shemar Turner, whom the team selected late in the second round, also showed flashes (specifically in the running game) before suffering a torn ACL against Baltimore in Week 8.

Undrafted rookie Jahdae Walker has even come up clutch in a few gotta-have-it moments in recent weeks. The class has been deep and strong.

With that said, they didn't hit on all of their picks. Fourth-round pick Ruben Hypollite II hasn't provided any impact, and fifth-round selection Zah Frazier was placed on the reserve list before the season began. However, it would've been naive to expect them to do so. No class in NFL history has ever batted a thousand.

If the Bears don't have the league's premier draft haul, then who would? Which other classes stand out around the league?

The Giants seem to have landed their franchise quarterback, Jaxson Dart, and franchise running back, Cam Skattebo, in the draft. However, the shine from that class is somewhat clouded by third-overall pick Abdul Carter's disappointing start to his career. The outlook on that class is predicated on whether he can live up to the expectations, but they're certainly off to a good start overall.

The Browns also had one of the best draft classes. They landed one of the league's best young defenders in Carson Schwesinger, who is widely favored to win the Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fifth overall pick Mason Graham has also come on strong over the second half of the year. Meanwhile, they also found a few gems on the offensive side of the ball, with Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Dylan Sampson, and Shadeur Sanders all providing an impact.

Personally, I think Cleveland probably deserve the recognition of having the "best draft class" right now. They've gotten strong contributions from virtually every selection. However, Chicago is a close second in that conversation.

The class might've stumbled out of the gates, but they've more than made up for it lately. You won't be able to make an accurate assessment regarding the conversation until roughly this time next year (or two years from now), but they definitely appear to be one of the front-runners.

Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson, and Co. deserve to take a bow. They hit the 2025 NFL Draft out of the park.

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