The Chicago Bears addressed a huge need when they traded for offensive guard Joe Thuney. However, trading for an All-Pro offensive lineman leaves Ashton Jeanty possibly in the picture.
The Bears have the 11th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Heisman Trophy runner-up is the projected first running back to be taken off of the board.
Pairing quarterback Caleb Williams with an elite rusher like Jeanty could be huge. As a result, NFL writer Daniel Jeremiah was on the Rich Eisen Show and detailed more of the Thuney trade.
He elaborated on how the team secured a quintessential need for their star quarterback.
“This was their glaring need if you watched the Bears last year,” Jeremiah said. “If we’re going to get a fair evaluation of Caleb Williams that has to be upgraded. So not only have you already done that before free agency starts, but you've now freed yourself up a little bit in both free agency and the draft.
“You don’t want to be in a situation where you have this glaring need that you have to grossly overpay in terms of what you’re going to give a free agent or your reaching for somebody with that 10th overall pick. Now it frees up some new names there. Ashton Jeanty there to me is legitimately in the conversation there if you’re the Bears.”
Could the Bears draft Ashton Jeanty after signing Joe Thuney?
The dominoes might be falling into place if you're the Bears. They have the receivers with DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, as well as Keenan Allen. Their rushing attack, though, was a bit fickle throughout the season.
Running back D'Andre Swift replicated some of his success from the Philadelphia Eagles. However, running behind a mediocre offensive line doesn't help.
When he was with the Eagles, they had a top-rated offensive line in the league. The Bears were close to the bottom. Because of this, Williams was sacked 68 times, the third-most in a single season in NFL history.
Either way, the Bears could keep building around Williams and pair him with an elite running back. Securing Thuney in a trade is automatically a win.
However, finding a top-tier running back as his running mate will be the next step. Jeanty ran for 2,601 yards last season and 29 touchdowns. He averaged seven yards per carry, with defenses continually stacking the box.
Not to mention, Jeanty had a visit with the Bears, as his Top 30 visit. The offensive firepower with new head coach Ben Johnson could be overwhelming for other teams to deal with.
