Bear Digest

The worst takes on Chicago Bears situation in the 2025 draft

Analysis: Some comments or statements made about the Bears' draft situation are better ignored, including some about trading up and down.
Gene Chamberlain|
There is unncessary fear among some Bears fans that if the team wants Ashton Jeanty, Jerry Jones could swoop in and stel him.
There is unncessary fear among some Bears fans that if the team wants Ashton Jeanty, Jerry Jones could swoop in and stel him. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The give and take of draft debate often lets certain arguments and facts be taken as absolutes when they're actually flimsy garbage.

There have been many of these silly arguments or statements made and accepted as fact regarding the Bears or their situation in this draft.

Until they start picking or trading, nothing is known about the Bears board except to them.

Here are those most repeated or believed assumptions that some pass off as being canon but really need to be ignored.

1. Ben Johnson went after his running back in Detroit in the draft and will again (Ashton Jeanty)

The idea of trading up to get Jeanty makes sense if it's a place or two in draft order but giving up a second-round pick to go up five or even four spots, after they've given themselves outstanding draft value with two players in the second round, makes no sense. It seems unlikely they'd move up so far.

The bigger mistake here is comparing this to what Johnson and the Lions did to get Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Lions actually traded back and got extra picks when they selected Gibbs. They went back from sixth to 12th. It's easy to move back and take picks but still get to draft a player than it is to move up and draft a player and give up picks.

Johnson definitely had his guy but moving back for Gibbs was a case where he could have his draft cake and eat it, too, with extra picks.

Giving up a third to go up two or three spots is nothing like going up to No. 4 or 5 to get Jeanty by giving up a second-rounder.

Moving back and getting another good player and a pick or two always makes more sense unless you're a team on the verge of a Super Bowl.

2. Bears could move Darnell Wright to left tackle and draft a right tackle

They're not moving Wright. GM Ryan Poles was asked about this on Tuesday right out of the blue and went on and on about how Wright has that ability.

They always say this sort of thing. You could probably get them to say everyone but Caleb Williams can play a different line position. It's an easy opportunity for the GM to take up time he'd have to devote to more serious questions that he didn't want to answer. Basically, those predraft discussions are the GM doing everything and saying everything he can to not say anything and then be done with it.

Poles' answer was about as sincere as Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men when he told Tom Cruise he could get him all "transfer orders that you want."

"Sure Danny, I can move Darnell Wright to any position you want."

Poles was just saying this to placate the media. He had no intention of answering any questions honestly Tuesday other than to say he put Joe Thuney at the top of the contract extension list, which was entirely logical anyway.

Any question hinting about how they really view the draft, how they really view their own personnel or who they might select was going to be buried. They wouldn't even talk about the depth of talent at specific or non-specific spots in the draft when questioned.

Talking seriously about moving a starter was going to meet with a non-serious answer.

They have been the same vague way talking about where their linebackers will play and how they'll use both Rome Odunze and DJ Moore, in terms of moving them into the slot.

You'll get nothing and like it, and that's what the comment about Wright moving sides was. Nothing.

It might seem stupid to some to keep Wright at right tackle when they can use left tackle depth but Penei Sewell played right tackle for Johnson and Wright has often been equated in size and build to Sewell. He's not a long-armed left tackle, either.

You need a right tackle just like you need a left tackle.

Moving one underscores an old axiom and that is how moving a player weakens a team at two positions more than it strengthens a team at one. So they're not doing it.

3. The Jaguars will take Jeanty because of decision makers' experience

If anything, they would not take Jeanty because of past experience by their decision makers.

It's obvious Liam Coen built Tampa Bay's offensive success on a running game last year but not with great backs. They built a strong offensive line as much as they could and used later picks on backs.

The other dynamic here is James Gladstone, the GM, although it's been obvious Coen really calls the shots there.

But Gladstone came from the Rams, where they built their success on Aaron Donald along the defensive interior.

And he's going to pass on Mason Graham for a back, when the Rams used to roll in backs off the waiver wire scrap heap or middle-to-late draft rounds every year?

4. Raiders will draft Jeanty because Pete Carroll had good rushing teams

They did have great rushing teams in Seattle 12 years ago but they had an excellent offensive line. Rushing teams need run blocking. No team needs an offensive line that gives up 50 sacks or more. The Raiders gave up 50 sacks last year and were last in rushing but they didn't add significant blocking help in free agency. Finishing last in rushing wasn't entirely on the backs.

If they did draft Jeanty, Carroll is putting the cart before the horse.

The Seattle offense he had that won a Super Bowl had two Pro Bowl offensive linemen in Max Unger and Russell Okung, besides having Marshawn Lynch as the ball carrier.

The other thing the Seahawks did with Carroll was win a Super Bowl with the game's best defense.

The Raiders are a long, long way from this, ranking 25th in points allowed and 24th in passer rating against. They can use secondary help besides another defensive lineman and linebacker.

5. Cowboys GM Jerry Jones wheels and deals and might trade in front of the Bears to get Jeanty

He might do it but his history is to wheel and deal backwards. Micah Parsons was drafted after Jones traded back two spots with the Eagles. He hasn't moved up in the first round since 2012, even if he did say that currently they are working on "pretty substantive trades."

Substantive trade is what the government currently is working on. Jerry is only working on staying awake through the draft.

Jones has a team with a lot of problems and trading up to get Jeanty would only solve one of them while keeping them from solving others or making others worse.

If the Bears did want to get in a trade war with Jones for Jeanty, they would only lose if they chose to because they have a lot more to offer in pick numbers and picks that are earlier in each round for trade compensation.

6. Either special tight end in the draft is better than drafting Omarion Hampton or Ashton Jeanty

Neither one is.

They're playing a position that will get targeted 50 to 70 times at most next year and Hampton is the second-best back in a draft behind Jeanty in a very strong group of backs. A starting back is going to get the ball as much as 250-300 times next year in a shared backfield, if not more.

It's pretty simple to figure out who means more to your team. Tight ends are for Day 2 and 3. It's why only three have been taken in the top 10 since the last time the Bears were in the Super Bowl.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.