The Chicago Bears are sitting pretty with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL draft, but a shortage of blue-chip prospects could push them to mortgage their future and trade up further into the round for one of the class’ few elite-caliber talents.
The Bears took a bold approach to acquiring talent in NFL free agency in March, adding new starters at five different positions and consequently giving themselves much more flexibility in the upcoming draft in terms of which positions they must make priorities.
Now, instead of trying to land new starters at several positions, the Bears can focus on securing one game-changing talent, even if doing so requires them to make a trade.
But while many Bears fans are rooting for them to target running back phenom Ashton Jeanty in the first round, Pro Football Focus’ Mason Cameron projected them to make a deal to trade up for a different top-tier talent — Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter — sending multiple first-round picks to the Cleveland Browns to move up to No. 2 overall.
Bears receive: No. 2 pick
Browns receive: No. 10 pick, No. 39 pick, No. 148 pick and a 2026 first-round pick.
“The Bears evidently believe their roster can win now and have been aggressive to maximize that opportunity,” Cameron wrote. “What’s more aggressive than jumping into the top three to grab the best pass rusher in the class?”
Abdul Carter Trade Could Tempt Bears If He Falls in Draft
Unpacking why the Bears would have interest in Carter does not take long. He is widely regarded as the top defensive player in the 2025 draft class, one who is quick, scrappy and relentless off the edge and possesses all the athletic traits of a future NFL superstar. Even with Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo in the trenches, Carter could instantly provide the Bears with a game-changing piece on defense for the long-reaching future.
The Bears, however, may not love the idea of trading so many assets for one player.
Last week, Bears general manager Ryan Poles said he believes there are fewer “blue” players in this year’s draft but a wider-than-usual range of “really good starting-level players” that could stay on the board into the third round. In other words, he might prefer to hold onto both of the Bears’ second-round picks (Nos. 39 and 41) to give the team its best chance of adding as many starter-caliber players as they can for 2025.
That said, if Poles and his staff consider Carter one of the premier talents in the class — as many scouts and analysts do — they could forgo the many to get their golden goose.
If Carter becomes a must-have for the Bears, there is also the question of how much they would be willing to give up in a trade. Cameron’s suggestion of three picks in 2025 and a future first-round selection is awfully rich (and against Poles’ modus operandi), but Poles might consider a less costly move to No. 3 or No. 4 if Carter should slip.
Are Bears More Likely to Trade Down From No. 10 Pick?
The Bears could realistically consider trading up for a few different players in the first round, not just Carter. They may like running back Ashton Jeanty and decide they need to leap the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6 overall to acquire him. Or they could continue to fill out their defensive line and target an interior mauler in Michigan’s Mason Graham.
Would trading back deeper into the first round to add draft capital make more sense for the Bears, though, in light of Poles’ words about the pool of starting talent available?
If the Bears do not want to trade up for one of their blue-chip players and see too many of their favorite choices come off the board before they pick at No. 10, they might want to explore their opportunities to move back if it means adding another Day 2 selection.
For instance, they could potentially trade back into the late teens, add a second-rounder and fill the Jeanty-sized hole in their heart with North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton.
A long-term roster-building strategy favors the Bears adding more picks and having more darts to throw at finding potential starters. If Chicago believes it can contend with head coach Ben Johnson in 2025, though, a win-now swing could be in the cards.
