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The dust is beginning to settle after the Bears' 2025 NFL Draft. Eight players were selected at a number of different positions, and the team brought in a handful of undrafted free agents who will look to earn a spot either on the active roster or on the practice squad.
We are still a ways away from seeing these new players in action, but we can start to deduce how their arrival could impact veterans in key roles. Some players may have extra competition that they now need to contend with, while others will benefit from the additions the team made. Here are the winners and losers for the Bears (so far) following the 2025 draft.
In the span of four months, the Bears hired the hottest offensive coach available to lead the team, traded for two guards, one of them being an All-Pro, signed the top center on the market, and now drafted a field-stretching tight end and DJ Moore Jr. in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, respectively. The only way this gets better for Caleb Williams is if they give his dog, Supa, his own locker at the facility.
The Bears loaded up on pass catchers early for Williams to work with. Loveland and Burden will slot in behind Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Moore early before they settle in. Williams has everything at his fingertips to go out and break through in Year 2. It's not often we see the Bears focus on snagging skill position players early in the draft. In fact, it's never happened in the common draft era, according to 670 The Score's Mark Grote.
The Bears offense should operate well with two tight ends in Johnson's system, and while Cole Kmet will still play an integral part in 2025, his clock is officially ticking. The Bears found a faster and more athletic tight end whose receiving skills coming into the league are night and day compared to where Kmet was when he was drafted. His days as TE1 are limited, and it's possible we have seen the best Kmet can provide in a Bears uniform already, despite him being just 26 years old.
It's not just Loveland, either. Burden's arrival means there is one more mouth to feed when it comes to targets, and Kmet will get pushed even further down the pecking order. Kmet is a solid in-line tight end who still has a role on this team, and he and Loveland will complement each other nicely. But deep down, he knows his days as a true focal point of the offense are likely over.
There is no question the biggest surprise of the draft was the fact Chicago didn't draft a running back in one of the deepest classes in recent memory until their last selection in the seventh round. For months, fans have been preparing for the Bears to take a running back on either Day 1 with Ashton Jeanty or Omarion Hampton, Day 2 with TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, or Kaleb Johnson, or Day 3 with Cam Skattebo or Bayshul Tuten. Despite making attempts, none of them were selected, which should be music to D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
The Bears did bring in Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai, who was productive while playing in the Big Ten. Still, he isn't nearly as much of a threat as any of the seven aforementioned backs. Swift (for now) will continue to operate as RB1 while Johnson backs him up and fights for playing time with Monangai. It's far different than most people thought it would be even just a week ago.
It's been a rough six months for the maligned Bears cornerback. Tyrique Stevenson's 2024 season was defined by a boneheaded play that was the catalyst for the Bears' downfall. Now with a new coaching staff, Stevenson has a blank slate and a chance to redefine his career. Unfortunately, his path towards redemption just got harder following Day 3 of the draft.
The Bears drafted cornerback Zah Frazier in the fifth round, which could wind up being a steal. Frazier is a lengthy defensive back who was a ballhawk in 2024 for UTSA. His profile is similar to Stevenson's, which could make for an interesting training camp battle between the two of them, as well as Terell Smith. Bears secondary coach Al Harris was the driving voice behind picking Frazier, too, which could be an indicator of how the team feels about their starting outside corner position. Either way, Stevenson continues to be put on notice.
There is quite a bit of uncertainty at the safety position following the 2025 season. In fact, it's all uncertain considering no one is under contract. That made it all the more likely that the Bears would find someone in the draft to stash behind Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. That never happened, though, and the starters should be safe going into the season.
That's especially key for Brisker, who missed most of last season with a concussion. Brisker was having a career year before the injury, and his future with the team is up in the air at best. There is no guarantee the former 2022 second-round pick returns next season, but the odds look better than they did a week ago. The fact general manager Ryan Poles didn't make a move at the position also tells us the team feels comfortable with where Brisker is at. That's important.
If Bears fans all over the world were shocked to see Luther Burden get taken with pick No. 39, how do you think DJ Moore felt? The arrival of Burden immediately put Moore on notice, not because he's simply another highly touted receiver coming to town, but because his skill set almost mirrors the veteran pass catcher. Burden is exceptional when he gets the ball in his hands, and he was utilized much like Moore was last year with quick out routes, jet sweeps, and working in space to gain first downs.
Head coach Ben Johnson talked about turning the heat up just a tad on specific players and groups. There's little doubt that Moore is near the top of that list. He needs to rebound after a tumultuous 2024 season. If he doesn't, there is basically a clone of him waiting in the wings for the opportunity.
Was Cairo Santos' job in question prior to the NFL Draft? Not necessarily, even after a subpar year, but we have seen Poles make some interesting moves over the last few seasons—including drafting two punters within two years of one another. Who's to say he wasn't going to fall in love with someone like Tyler Loop or Andres Borregalas during the process?
The Bears did opt to sign a kicker as an undrafted free agent, but that's par for the course going into training camp. Selecting one with a pick would have clearly signaled their intentions and made the departure of Santos look that much more likely. Things can still happen, but Santos will have to experience a full-on meltdown for the Bears to find his replacement this season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Winners and losers following the Bears 2025 draft
Continue reading...
We are still a ways away from seeing these new players in action, but we can start to deduce how their arrival could impact veterans in key roles. Some players may have extra competition that they now need to contend with, while others will benefit from the additions the team made. Here are the winners and losers for the Bears (so far) following the 2025 draft.
Winner: QB Caleb Williams
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In the span of four months, the Bears hired the hottest offensive coach available to lead the team, traded for two guards, one of them being an All-Pro, signed the top center on the market, and now drafted a field-stretching tight end and DJ Moore Jr. in Colston Loveland and Luther Burden, respectively. The only way this gets better for Caleb Williams is if they give his dog, Supa, his own locker at the facility.
The Bears loaded up on pass catchers early for Williams to work with. Loveland and Burden will slot in behind Rome Odunze, Cole Kmet, and Moore early before they settle in. Williams has everything at his fingertips to go out and break through in Year 2. It's not often we see the Bears focus on snagging skill position players early in the draft. In fact, it's never happened in the common draft era, according to 670 The Score's Mark Grote.
Loser: Cole Kmet
The Bears offense should operate well with two tight ends in Johnson's system, and while Cole Kmet will still play an integral part in 2025, his clock is officially ticking. The Bears found a faster and more athletic tight end whose receiving skills coming into the league are night and day compared to where Kmet was when he was drafted. His days as TE1 are limited, and it's possible we have seen the best Kmet can provide in a Bears uniform already, despite him being just 26 years old.
It's not just Loveland, either. Burden's arrival means there is one more mouth to feed when it comes to targets, and Kmet will get pushed even further down the pecking order. Kmet is a solid in-line tight end who still has a role on this team, and he and Loveland will complement each other nicely. But deep down, he knows his days as a true focal point of the offense are likely over.
Winners: D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson
There is no question the biggest surprise of the draft was the fact Chicago didn't draft a running back in one of the deepest classes in recent memory until their last selection in the seventh round. For months, fans have been preparing for the Bears to take a running back on either Day 1 with Ashton Jeanty or Omarion Hampton, Day 2 with TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins, or Kaleb Johnson, or Day 3 with Cam Skattebo or Bayshul Tuten. Despite making attempts, none of them were selected, which should be music to D'Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson.
The Bears did bring in Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai, who was productive while playing in the Big Ten. Still, he isn't nearly as much of a threat as any of the seven aforementioned backs. Swift (for now) will continue to operate as RB1 while Johnson backs him up and fights for playing time with Monangai. It's far different than most people thought it would be even just a week ago.
Loser: Tyrique Stevenson
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It's been a rough six months for the maligned Bears cornerback. Tyrique Stevenson's 2024 season was defined by a boneheaded play that was the catalyst for the Bears' downfall. Now with a new coaching staff, Stevenson has a blank slate and a chance to redefine his career. Unfortunately, his path towards redemption just got harder following Day 3 of the draft.
The Bears drafted cornerback Zah Frazier in the fifth round, which could wind up being a steal. Frazier is a lengthy defensive back who was a ballhawk in 2024 for UTSA. His profile is similar to Stevenson's, which could make for an interesting training camp battle between the two of them, as well as Terell Smith. Bears secondary coach Al Harris was the driving voice behind picking Frazier, too, which could be an indicator of how the team feels about their starting outside corner position. Either way, Stevenson continues to be put on notice.
Winner: S Jaquan Brisker
There is quite a bit of uncertainty at the safety position following the 2025 season. In fact, it's all uncertain considering no one is under contract. That made it all the more likely that the Bears would find someone in the draft to stash behind Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. That never happened, though, and the starters should be safe going into the season.
That's especially key for Brisker, who missed most of last season with a concussion. Brisker was having a career year before the injury, and his future with the team is up in the air at best. There is no guarantee the former 2022 second-round pick returns next season, but the odds look better than they did a week ago. The fact general manager Ryan Poles didn't make a move at the position also tells us the team feels comfortable with where Brisker is at. That's important.
Loser: WR DJ Moore
If Bears fans all over the world were shocked to see Luther Burden get taken with pick No. 39, how do you think DJ Moore felt? The arrival of Burden immediately put Moore on notice, not because he's simply another highly touted receiver coming to town, but because his skill set almost mirrors the veteran pass catcher. Burden is exceptional when he gets the ball in his hands, and he was utilized much like Moore was last year with quick out routes, jet sweeps, and working in space to gain first downs.
Head coach Ben Johnson talked about turning the heat up just a tad on specific players and groups. There's little doubt that Moore is near the top of that list. He needs to rebound after a tumultuous 2024 season. If he doesn't, there is basically a clone of him waiting in the wings for the opportunity.
Winner: Cairo Santos
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Was Cairo Santos' job in question prior to the NFL Draft? Not necessarily, even after a subpar year, but we have seen Poles make some interesting moves over the last few seasons—including drafting two punters within two years of one another. Who's to say he wasn't going to fall in love with someone like Tyler Loop or Andres Borregalas during the process?
The Bears did opt to sign a kicker as an undrafted free agent, but that's par for the course going into training camp. Selecting one with a pick would have clearly signaled their intentions and made the departure of Santos look that much more likely. Things can still happen, but Santos will have to experience a full-on meltdown for the Bears to find his replacement this season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Winners and losers following the Bears 2025 draft
Continue reading...
