Ashton Jeanty is considered a lock to go in the top-10 of the 2025 NFL Draft on Thursday. That fact was further affirmed Monday.
ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that a surprise club, the Chicago Bears, are “praying” that Jeanty will fall to them at the No. 10 pick in the first round.
“There are multiple personnel people who believe the Bears are praying that Jeanty slips to them at No. 10,” Schefter reported Monday.
New Bears Coach Ben Johnson Could Feature Ashton Jeanty & D’Andre Swift as a ‘Two-Headed Duo
Chris Coduto/Getty Running back Ashton Jeanty of the Boise State Broncos runs during the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl against Penn State.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – MARCH 01: (L-R) Ashton Jeanty #RB15 of Boise State and Cam Skattebo #RB28 of Arizona State look on during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Chicago already has a run-happy quarterback in Caleb Williams, plus featured back D’Andre Swift (959 yards in 2024). But the belief is new coach Ben Johnson would want to create a similar scenario to that of the Sonic-and-Knuckles backfield he had in Detroit.
“[Personnel people] think new Bears coach Ben Johnson could feature Jeanty and D’Andre Swift as a two-headed duo the way the Lions did with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs when Johnson was Detroit’s offensive coordinator,” Schefter wrote.
Montgomery and Gibbs created one of the most dynamic two-headed running back tandems in NFL history, combining for 2,187 rushing yards and 28 rushing touchdowns in 2024. The duo combined for 1,960 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns in 2023, and Montgomery and Gibbs, who fell to Detroit with the 12th pick in the 2023 draft, helped Detroit reach the NFC Championship Game.
Jeanty, the Heisman Trophy runner-up from Boise State who ran for the second-most single-season yards in FBS history (2,601) plus 29 touchdowns in 2024, is being graded as the top running back in the draft. Even with Williams and Swift, the Bears ranked 25th in the NFL in rushing (102 yards per game).
Chicago would surely be banking on the fact a strong running attack would invite more favorable matchups in the passing game, like what Detroit quarterback Jared Goff faced the past two seasons. The Lions have ranked second in the NFL in passing yards per game in each of the past two seasons.
The Bears Could Try to Move Up to Draft Jeanty
Stacy Revere/Getty Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and Cam Skattebo of Arizona State look on during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
If Johnson really wanted Jeanty, who is one of just two running backs projected to go in the first round by Reid, the Bears do have seven draft picks in the upcoming draft, including three in the first two rounds.
That could inspire them to trade up and jump the Las Vegas Raiders — who will pick sixth and have been linked to Jeanty in mock drafts — to pick the potential superstar back.
The Bears have needs on both sides of the ball, which would make trading up to select a running back a curious decision after they went 5-12 — and lost 10 of their final 11 games. Plus, there’s no guarantee Swift will even be around to create a tandem, since Swift has been floated as a potential trade candidate.
Despite adding Johnson to coach up Williams after his up-and-down rookie season, the Bears could also use help on defense. Chicago was 27th in the league in yards-against per game, despite only giving up 21.8 points per game, which is why ESPN’s Jordan Reid projected it to take EDGE Mykel Williams from Georgia at No. 10 in his mock draft released Monday.
Reid did project the Bears to choose a running back without trading up. Chicago landed Ohio State’s dynamic RB TreVeyon Henderson on the second round, according to the ESPN mock draft.
