2025 NFL Draft Grades: Chicago Bears

Best Pick: It was their first-round pick in tight end Colston Loveland. He is perfect for the Ben Johnson offense, and I liked him more than Tyler Warren. Think Sam LaPorta in this offense.

Worst Pick: Second-round pick Luther Burden wasn't really a need and I don't think he plays to his speed. There was also talk he wasn't a great practice player.

The Skinny: They had four picks in the top 62 and added two pass catchers, an offensive lineman (Ozzy Trapilo) and a defensive lineman in Shemar Turner. I didn't love the pick of Burden, but the rest of the class was solid -- even if it was a little high for Trapilo. But tackles do go fast. Fifth-round corner Zah Frazier is long and athletic.

Top needs entering the draft: Edge rusher, running back, defensive tackle and tight end

Credit Bears general manager Ryan Poles for addressing his team's biggest need -- before the draft. The trades for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson weren't too costly, though Poles gave $28 million guaranteed to free agent center Drew Dalman. Chicago is now clearly better along the offensive line -- quarterback Caleb Williams had to run for his life at times in 2024. He was sacked 68 times, which tied for the third most by any QB since sacks were first tracked in 1963, per ESPN Research.

Those moves meant the Bears had options at No. 10 overall and didn't need to force more offense. But Poles was leaving no doubt this offseason. The Bears took tight end Colston Loveland, who has seam-stretching ability and had nine TD catches over the past two seasons. New coach Ben Johnson comes from Detroit, where he had Sam LaPorta heavily involved in the pass game. Now, he will have Loveland and Cole Kmet at the position. Chicago would have loved it if Ashton Jeanty fell to No. 10 to jump-start the run game -- and I prefer Tyler Warren among the tight ends in this class -- but Poles is clearly doing whatever is necessary to get Williams where the Bears need him.

But he wasn't done. Luther Burden III is an explosive after-the-catch merchant who will join a solid receiver room. Ozzy Trapilo could see work at left tackle, with Braxton Jones working back from an ankle injury. Seventh-rounder Kyle Monangai might not be Jeanty, but he ran for 1,200-plus yards in back-to-back seasons and has some of the best ball security among the class' RBs. Luke Newman is probably moving inside to center behind Dalman.

But where are the pass rushers? The Bears' edge defenders had a pass rush win rate of 10.2%, which was the third worst in the NFL last season. Shemar Turner is versatile, but he's primarily an interior defensive lineman. He'll join Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. there. I was thinking we might see at least one edge rusher among the Bears' eight picks.

That was enough to knock Chicago down to a B+. Otherwise, I was a fan of its picks, which seem very centered on elevating Williams' game in 2025.

The Bears' top priority early on in this draft was to add talent around quarterback Caleb Williams. The team grabbed Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with their first pick, ostensibly with visions of turning him into Brian Johnson's new version of Sam LaPorta. And if you squint, it's not too hard to picture their second-round selection—Missouri's Luther Burden III—playing the role of Amon-Ra St. Brown over the middle, where his play strength and run-after-the-catch talent can be featured. Chicago added depth and developmental upside with the selection of Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo, while their first defensive pick, Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, brings some tenacity and power to the defensive front. Overall, I like that Chicago made Williams's development a focus—and both Loveland and Burden should be on the field very early on.

Given the way that Sam LaPorta helped the Detroit Lions the past two seasons, few know better than new Bears head coach Ben Johnson the immediate impact a playmaking tight end can make. While I was slightly surprised to see Colston Loveland drafted ahead of Tyler Warren, the former is actually a better schematic fit for the Bears given that the club already boasts a quality dual-purpose tight end in Cole Kmet, allowing Loveland to play more of the "big receiver" role.

I liked the Bears' selection on Thursday, but I loved their picks on Friday. Wide receiver is not a position I expected them to focus on early, but Luther Burden III is the best receiver after the catch in this draft and will make their offense (and special teams) instantly more explosive. Similarly, I like the pro-readiness and nastiness that fellow second-rounders Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner provide. Of the Bears' Day 3 picks, I'm most intrigued by the upside of UTSA cornerback Zah Frazier, who offers many of the traits that have helped Tariq Woolen — another former fifth-round pick — emerge as a starter for the Seahawks.

Here's why: Ben Johnson's fingerprints were all over this draft for the Bears. Adding tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III and tackle Ozzy Trapilo were clear moves to try and improve Chicago's offensive roster after last year's disaster performance in Caleb Williams' first year as the starting quarterback. Trapilo is a bit of a project and Burden might need a bit of refinement in his transition to the league, but if they hit their ceilings they could end up being strong, positive players for the Bears. Their offensive Round 2 picks are a bit risky, but not indefensible. Shemar Turner was a nice depth pick for the defensive line, but it felt early for him.

Most interesting pick: Ozzy Trapilo, OT, Boston College

Trapilo will be the Bears' project to develop at left tackle, finishing out their offensive line rebuild for the upcoming season. Trapilo is raw, but has tools to develop, and if he's just steady enough to start, it will be a big upgrade for the Bears' offense.

GM Ryan Poles, who's known for his aggressive maneuvers, continues to build out the support system for second-year QB Caleb Williams. But did Poles hit the optimal notes? Time will tell if first-round TE Colston Loveland was the correct choice over Warren. Poles also stood pat at No. 39 and wound up with WR Luther Burden III, who loosely compares to Deebo Samuel, but Chicago missed out on what appeared to be this draft's top running back prospects. Poles did wind up with three stabs in Round 2, and DT Shemar Turner might have been the best of the trio (OT Ozzy Trapilo being the other).

The Bears have received a ton of praise for loading up on weapons for Caleb Williams, but it's tough to trust this team after how badly they flopped last season with a bad offensive line. Yes, Chicago now has guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, as well as center Drew Dalman, but Jackson was benched by the Los Angeles Rams last season and Braxton Jones might not be the answer at left tackle. Chicago got complacent and waited too long to continue building the offensive line. But if the revamped offensive line pans out, Williams could have plenty of success throwing to Loveland and Burden next season. New coach Ben Johnson has the weapons to form a creative playbook in Chicago.

How much do you want to bet Ben Johnson asks Colston Loveland if he can call him Sam? The former Lions offensive coordinator very clearly thinks Loveland can be his new Sam LaPorta, and I really liked the value pick of getting wide receiver Luther Burden in round two.