Insider believes Ben Johnson could find new Sam LaPorta NFL Draft

Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have arguably two big first-round needs: offensive tackle and running back.

Now sure, the team has invested heavily in the offensive line this offseason and already has DeAndre Swift on the roster, who is a solid enough back with plenty of NFC North success on his resume, but if you read mock drafts in the lead-up to Thursday's big event, the Bears' name will almost always be followed by a name like Armand Membou, Will Campbell, Kelvin Banks Jr., and Ashton Jeanty.

But what happens if the board really doesn't break the Bears' way? What if all four of those players are gone and the team has to look elsewhere to find their next great premier talent? Well, in the opinion of ESPN's Courtney Cronin in a joint mock draft by NFL Live, Chicago might just grab their next great tight end, affording Ben Johnson a new version of Sam LaPorta via Penn State's Tyler Warren.

“A tight end as versatile as Warren could be for the Bears, what Sam LaPorta was for Ben Johnson's Detroit offenses. The Penn State standout caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and had 12 total touchdowns as a senior,” Cronin wrote.”Adding a versatile weapon to the passing game and a player who has demonstrated the willingness to block in the running game (Penn State had two 1,000-yard rushers on its run to the College Football Playoff) would be a major addition and benefit Caleb Williams' growth in Year 2.”

Does Warren fit the Bears' needs if those other players are off the board? Well, that depends on what Johnson and company think of existing TE1 Cole Kmet in addition to players like Mykel Williams, Tetairoa McMillan, and Jahdae Barron, who come off the board with the next three picks in ESPN's mock.

If the Bears want to optimize Caleb Williams and ease his transition to the NFL level after an up-and-down rookie season, then yeah, Warren makes sense; he's widely considered the best pass-catcher in this year's class, and at 6-foot-5, 256 pounds, he's a massive target for the USC product to throw to both in planned looks and when things break down. But if the Bears like their offensive options and instead want to improve their defensive options, then maybe a player like Williams or Barron makes more sense, especially considering receivers like Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, and Mason Taylor could be available when the team picks at the top of the second round.