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ESPN's latest 2025 NFL Mock Draft sends shocking first-round pick to Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have positioned themselves to take the best player available in the 2025 NFL Draft, and the latest mock draft from ESPN sends a shocking pick to Ben Johnson's offense.
Bryan Perez|
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Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles couldn’t hide his grin at Wednesday’s press conference when asked how the team’s revamped offensive line impacts his first-round draft plans for the 2025 NFL Draft.

“This really opens the whole board for us,” Poles said. “We’re going to be able to sit back and kind of look and say, ‘What’s the best thing to do for the Chicago Bears? And who’s the best player that can impact [us]?’ We’ve got some tough decisions and a lot of film to watch between now and the draft.”

Indeed, the 2025 NFL draft board has opened up for Poles and the Bears, and in ESPN's latest 2025 NFL mock draft, Chicago flips the first round on its head applying the best player available philosophy.

The pick? Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Tyler Warren (44) runs after a catch
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"Is tight end a primary need for Chicago? No. Is it easy to imagine new coach Ben Johnson dialing up some incredible concepts and play designs revolving around Warren? Oh, yes," ESPN's Field Yates wrote. "Offensive line would have been the clear priority for the Bears, but they totally revamped their interior by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and then also signing center Drew Dalman. The trenches already look much better on paper. So, let's get Warren, who is tremendous after the catch and could help quarterback Caleb Williams in a big way, into the top 10."

Tyler Warren won't rank high on Chicago Bears' NFL Draft wish list

Look, I get it. Warren is a stud and he warrants top-10 consideration in the first round. But the Chicago Bears won't be the team to select him.

The Bears would be more likely to trade down than spend a premium selection on a tight end, especially with Cole Kmet already on the roster and already getting paid big money.

Kmet is just 26 years old and still has an untapped upside. Shane Waldron and the cast of misfit play-callers wasted his pass-catching ability in 2024; that shouldn't be the case this year, and I'm certain the Bears want to maximize his role in the offense before adding another high-profile tight end to the mix.

If the Chicago Bears plan on pivoting away from the offensive or defensive line in the first round of the NFL Draft, it will only be for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. He's the only prospect who could tempt Poles and Johnson to pass on Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks Jr., Mason Graham, or James Pearce, among others.

The Bears' upgrades along the offensive line definitely make the 2025 NFL draft more fun, but it won't produce a crazy result like this. At least, it shouldn't. And if it does, Poles will have some explaining to do.

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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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