Bear Digest

How Chicago Bears' trade for Joe Thuney impacts their 2025 NFL Draft plan

The Chicago Bears' blockbuster trade for Joe Thuney will have a massive impact on their 2025 NFL draft plan.
Bryan Perez|
Brett Davis-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears pulled off a blockbuster trade Wednesday, sending a 2026 fourth-round pick to the Kansas City Chiefs for All-Pro guard Joe Thuney.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has long said he will use the 2025 offseason to fix Chicago's offensive line problems, and he's taking swift action to accomplish that goal. On Tuesday, he traded a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft for Jonah Jackson, who, paired with Thuney, represents a massive upgrade along the Bears' interior offensive line.

Poles' commitment to the offensive line isn't a surprise, but the fact he's being so aggressive in the trade market is.

Most Bears insiders predicted a busy free agency period and early-round commitment to offensive linemen. While trades were certainly on the table, the fact Poles is striking this hard this fast suggests he could have a different 2025 NFL Draft plan.

Boise State Broncos running back Ashton Jeanty (2) during the second half
Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Chicago Bears positioning for best player available at No. 10 overall

The Chicago Bears currently hold the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. It's long been projected that Poles will target Will Campbell (OL, LSU) or Kelvin Banks (OL, Texas) with that selection, and that still may be the case. But after adding Thuney and Jackson in consecutive days, the need for a first-round interior lineman just went way down.

The Bears are expected to remain active in the offensive line market in free agency, with Atlanta Falcons center Drew Dalman likely next on their hit list. If they manage to add Dalman to the suddenly revamped starting five, Poles can pivot to edge rusher or even offensive skill player at No. 10 overall.

Yeah, you can start dreaming about Chicago selecting Ashton Jeanty. It's not that far-fetched anymore.

Perhaps Poles views Campbell, Banks, or Missouri's Armand Membou as pure left tackles and will still target them in the first round as the eventual replacement for Braxton Jones.

At this point, and with how feverish Poles already is with the offensive line upgrades, I wouldn't dismiss the entire offseason and all of the Bears' assets being dedicated to the O-line, even their first-round pick, no matter how many veteran starters join the roster.

—  Enjoy free coverage of the Bears from Chicago Bears on SI  —

More Chicago Bears News:

Published
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.

Home/News