‘Draft Day, Johnny Manziel. Five years later, how am I the man still?’
Drake’s 2014 track ‘Draft Day’ certainly hit the mark, if the definition of being ‘The Man’ was playing starting quarterback in the Canadian Football League.
In the column below, I am going to try and better the Toronto rapper with my own 2025 draft predictions for the Chicago Bears.
The Bears’ main needs following the conclusion of the 2024 season were to strengthen the offensive line; protecting star quarterback Caleb Williams, and to bolster the defensive line.
A pro-active free agency has bought experience to both those areas, giving the Bears the luxury of a theoretical ‘best available’ pick in the first round.
However, if offensive tackle Will Campbell or Armand Membou were to fall to 10th position, I feel the Bears would almost certainly pick either of those players.
The likelihood they would slip that far is slim to none, which would leave the most attractive OT pick as Texas’ Kelvin Banks.
Banks would be a solid addition, but I would imagine that if one of the two main offensive studs are left on the board, they would be picked ahead of him, and the Bears would instead choose to strengthen at OT on day two of the draft.
The stars on offense
The two most attractive offensive players on the board for Chicago would be Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren.
Bears’ head coach Ben Johnson would be like a kid in a sweet shop in this scenario, with both players having perhaps the highest ceiling of any in the 2025 draft.
Jeanty was the Heisman runner-up in his final year at Boise State, with his 2,601 rushing yards in 2024 being the second most ever at collegiate level for a single season.
His ability to break tackles draws immediate comparison with Saquon Barkley, and he possesses the raw potential to be a star in the NFL. It is, however, looking increasingly likely that the Las Vegas Raiders will pick Jeanty at number six.
This is no reason to be despondent, Bears fans, as in Warren there is also a potential superstar in the making.
Brock Bowers made drafting tight ends fashionable again, and Warren follows the blueprint of greats such as Jimmy Graham, Rob Gronkowski and Bowers by operating effectively as an additional wide receiver.
Former tight end coach Johnson raves about Warren being a “complete football player”, and should Jeanty be off the board when the Bears selection rolls around, my money would be on Warren being the Chicago Bears 2025 first round draft pick.
Given the way the draft board is likely to play out, my headline prediction for the Bears first round selection is Tyler Warren. Here is hoping that in five years time, the tight end is not representing the Montreal Alouettes north of the border.
