The Chicago Bears have a valuable asset in the No. 10 overall pick of the 2025 NFL draft, but they might find the selection is more useful as a trade chip to land one of the NFL’s premier superstar pass rushers during the offseason.
The Bears are once again on the hunt for more defensive end talent in 2025 after they failed last season to find a consistent pass-rushing partner for starter Montez Sweat, who had a moderately disappointing year with just 5.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
With the No. 10 pick, the Bears could roll the dice on one of the top pass rushers in the 2025 draft class, but they might prefer to exchange the pick for more of a sure thing — such as 29-year-old former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett.
Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay even crafted a potential trade package the Bears could use to acquire Garrett from the Cleveland Browns, predicting they will part ways with the 10th pick in a “franchise-altering move” that would make them “overnight contenders.”
The trade: The Bears would send the No. 10 pick along with their 2026 first-round pick and at least one additional Day 2 pick to the Browns in exchange for Garrett.
“Giving up the No. 10 overall pick in addition to a 2026 first-rounder and some Day 2 capital to facilitate this deal wouldn’t be easy to swallow, but it’s the type of franchise-altering move that could transform the Bears into a contender overnight,” Kay wrote.
Are Bears Willing to Spend Big to Land Myles Garrett?
There’s no doubt that Myles Garrett would be transformative for the Bears defense.
The six-time Pro Bowler has recorded 60 total sacks in the past four seasons with the Bears, including 14 in each of the last two campaigns, and has solidified himself as one of the NFL’s premier edge rushers since the Browns took him at No. 1 overall in 2017.
Garrett has also never missed more than six games in a season — and he still finished with 10 sacks when an injury limited him to just 10 games during the 2019 season.
The problem is the cost, both in terms of cap space and draft capital.
The Bears would have a tough enough time parting ways with their first-round picks in the next two drafts, especially after Ryan Poles praised the hard work that went into recuperating the team’s salary-cap situation and draft-pick stockpile on Tuesday.
It gets even tougher when adding in the fact that the Bears would need to take on the remaining two years of Garrett’s $125 million contract after giving up picks to get him.
The Bears could make it happen, but they would need to be convinced that Garrett is a difference-making piece who can help them contend for a Super Bowl immediately. He certainly has the profile of a player who can do that, but is it worth giving up multiple first-round picks and diverting resources away from other roster needs?
That’s the type of decision that can cost — or save — a general manager his job.
Browns ‘Not Interested’ in Trading Off Myles Garrett
While the trade predictions centered around Garrett are unlikely to die down anytime soon, it is worth noting the Browns have remained steadfast in their stance that they do not want to trade away their six-time Pro Bowl pass rusher under any circumstances.
Garrett formally requested a trade from the Browns in early February, citing his desire to compete for a Super Bowl and attempting to force his team to move him to another team more capable of contending for a championship during the 2025 season.
During Tuesday’s opening day of the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, though, Browns general manager Andrew Berry reiterated they have no intention of trading him.
“Myles is a huge part of our organization,” Berry said. “I understand the trade request and everything, but our stance really has not changed. We can’t imagine a situation where not having Myles as part of the organization is best for the Browns.
Now, the Browns digging in their heels does not mean a Garrett trade will not happen. Bears fans need only look back at how things unfolded with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers during his final offseasons in the NFC North to understand that.
Still, the Browns’ hard-line stance does indicate they will require a hefty trade offer to consider parting ways with Garrett. The Bears must figure out whether Garrett — who turns 30 next December — is worth such a high cost in terms of draft capital.
