The Chicago Bears had quite an eventful first week of free agency, bringing in four newcomers to the locker room, along with the three other additions brought into the building the week before that.
Needless to say, the Bears have been aggressive in addressing the needs on the roster leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, something general manager Ryan Poles stated would happen at the 2025 Scouting Combine a few weeks back.
With the majority of the dust settled on the free agent front, and a bulk of the spending money exhausted, the Bears will now be looking ahead to see what additions should be made in the draft. Here's which players I would target based on the remaining team needs following free agency.
10th Overall Pick: Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
Say what you want about positional value and drafting running backs high in the first-round. But, I can't shake the feeling that the Bears are going to take Ashton Jeanty with the 10th overall pick in April's draft, saying he's on the board.
The Bears are one of three teams who have done extensive research on the top running back prospect and Heisman Finalist. The only real threat to sniping Jeanty off the board would be the Las Vegas Raiders with the sixth overall pick, especially after seeing the additions the new regime brought in this offseason.
Now, I don't see the Bears moving up to make this happen. This would simply be a fingers-crossed scenario that Jeanty makes his way to the 10th overall pick. If he's there, this should be a no-brainer decision. You can't pass on a guy like this.
39th Overall Pick: Jonah Savaiinaea, OT Arizona
The Bears completely revamped the starting offensive line this offseason but one position that's still in question is left tackle. The starter, Braxton Jones, will be rehabbing from a significant ankle injury this offseason and is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Over the last week, we've seen the left tackle market absolutely go bonkers, and while Jones is a serviceable tackle, I'm not sure you can be comfortable paying him high dollar in his second contract next offseason, no matter how he plays in 2025.
Re-setting that clock at the position with a young tackle should be a key priority. The Bears will give Kiran Amegadjie another shot to prove himself, but I'd rather bank on a guy like Jonah Savaiinaea in the second-round securing that position long-term.
41st Overall Pick: Carson Schwesinger , LB UCLA
This guy has all the makings of being a first-round talent, but right now he's still hovering around the early second-round in latest projections. Carson Schwesinger is a do-it-all player at linebacker who racked up 136 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 2 INTs in 2024.
After letting Jack Sanborn walk, and follow Matt Eberflus to Dallas in free agency , the Bears have a hole at the position behind Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Noah Sewell is the current LB3 and hasn't ever shown much promise to be that guy.
On top of that, the contracts for Edwards and Edmunds will be running out soon, the Bears would be smart to prioritize finding a new beast in the middle.
72nd Overall Pick: Pat Bryant, WR Illinois
After signing Olamide Zaccheaus, the need for a WR3 isn't as glaring behind DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, but Zaccheaus' deal is only a one-year contract. Adding a long-term solution who fits what Ben Johnson likes out of his WR3 still makes sense.
It's hard to look at a guy like Pat Bryant and not see the fit in Ben Johnson's offense. During the Combine, Johnson used the phrase "no block, no rock" and a few days later Bryant was at the podium saying the same thing.
Bryant would be the ideal Josh Reynolds / Tim Patrick player in the Bears offense that can do the dirty work as a blocker but still contribute in the passing game as well.
148th Overall Pick: Sebastian Castro, S Iowa
Safety should still be considered a need for the Bears after not bringing one in up to this point in free agency. The Bears did re-sign Tarvarius Moore to a one-year deal as a special teams contributor, but the team needs a legitimate backup behind Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, who each have one year remaining on their current deal.
The Bears met with Sebastian Castro at the Combine and have a lot of connections to Iowa in the building. He's a local guy too, which Poles has shown to favor before.
Given his play-style as a physical safety, he would be the ideal option behind Brisker in case he were to miss time again in 2025.
233rd Overall Pick: Jalen McLeod, LB/DE Auburn
Thus far, I haven't had the Bears invest more into the defensive line, which does concern me a bit. However, the group is sitting in a good spot currently with talent inside and off the edge.
I could see the team adding someone late in the draft like Jalen McLeod as a developmental guy while giving Austin Booker a higher role on defense in 2025.
McLeod projects to be a LB/DE hybrid, similar to what the Bears added last year after the draft in Carl Jones. He could give the team a versatile player who can compete for a depth spot at either position.
240th Overall Pick: Hayden Conner, OG Texas
With the team's final pick in this mock draft, I'm banking on pure size in the seventh-round. Hayden Conner is an absolute monster at left guard who was elite in pass protection and has the mobility to get up to the second level in the run game.
Conner has a high football IQ and is hardly ever out of position, which is something Ben Johnson is clearly looking for in his offensive lineman.
His size at LG will also be appealing to Ben Johnson. At the Combine, Conner was 6'6, 314 pounds. Current Bears LG Joe Thuney is 6'5, 304 pounds. He's the perfect player to develop behind Thuney to eventually be the long-term starter in 2-3 years.
