$24 Million Starter Proves Bears’ Big Winner After First 2 Days of NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears made one big trade and four picks, three of them on the offensive side of the football, across the first two days of the NFL draft. But none of those moves added another running back to the roster.

That doesn’t mean Chicago won’t acquire a rookie rusher over the final four rounds of the proceedings, all of which will play out on Saturday, April 26. However, after six running backs came off the board through the first three rounds, Bears starter D’Andre Swift should be feeling considerably more confident in holding onto his position into Week 1 of the upcoming season.

New head coach Ben Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions when that team decided to trade Swift to the Philadelphia Eagles following his third professional season. The Lions replaced him by selecting Jahmyr Gibbs with the No. 12 pick in the 2023 draft.

Several prominent analysts speculated that history might repeat itself during Johnson’s first ever draft as a head coach given his past with Swift and his known propensity for drafting running backs/bringing in young players at the position to carry the load in a two-back system — such as the one he orchestrated in Detroit between Gibbs and former Bears RB David Montgomery over the past two seasons.

Bears Tried to Trade Up in 1st Round of NFL Draft, Possibly for RB Ashton Jeanty

Chicago was among a group of teams with interest in Boise State product Ashton Jeanty, who rushed for 2,600 yards last season and ended up going 6th overall to the Las Vegas Raiders.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles admitted the team attempted to trade up in the first round, though that never materialized due to the asking prices of the franchises with which the Bears spoke.

It is possible the team made those inquiries in the interest of drafting Jeanty, though Poles did not confirm that. Chicago ultimately stayed put at No. 10 and selected former Michigan tight end Colston Loveland, padding another position that Johnson favored during his three years as a coordinator in Detroit.

Bears Added Multiple Pass-Catchers for Caleb Williams During Ben Johnson’s First NFL Draft

The Bears had a chance to draft a running back with the 39th pick on Friday, but went with wide receiver Luther Burden III there instead.

“The Bears are winning this draft by surrounding Caleb Williams with talented pass catchers, and this pick is a steal,” Matt Miller wrote Friday. “Burden ranked as my No. 13 player with Stefon Diggs-like ability to create yards after the catch. He’s a winning slot receiver who can be utilized at various alignments, and he has upside as an outside receiver once his route running improves.”

Chicago then traded the No. 41 pick, along with two others, to the Buffalo Bills for a three-pick package that included selection Nos. 56 and 62 later in the second round. The Bears picked offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner with those two selections, opting to pass on running backs despite three of them coming off the board in that round before Chicago went on the clock with pick No. 62.

Swift put up a career-worst 3.8 yards per carry after inking a $24 million, three-year deal with the Bears during the 2024 offseason. That contract came on the heels of his first, and to this point only, Pro Bowl selection.

The Bears own three more picks on Sunday: one in the fourth round, one in the fifth and one in the seventh.