In case you missed it, the Chicago Bears added a pair of defensive linemen to their rotation over the weekend. It began on Friday with the acquisition of Darrell Taylor, a pass-rusher who is transitioning into a 4-3 defensive end after being a 3-4 outside linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks. The Bears also reeled in Chris Williams, a defensive tackle who is not to be confused with former offensive tackle Chris Williams. Each trade came at the cost of a sixth-round pick. But it also got me wondering about which picks the Bears have left at their disposal.
And if I’m wondering about it, then I’m sure I’m not alone.
Chicago Bears 2025 NFL Draft Picks
So, in case you were curious, these are the picks the Bears currently have for the 2025 NFL Draft:
- Their own 1st round pick
- Their own 2nd round pick
- The Carolina Panthers second-round pick, which is the final piece of the DJ Moore trade from 2023. Once again, my second favorite NFL team is going to be whoever plays the Panthers in a given week.
- Their own third-round pick
- Their own fifth-round pick
- A Pittsburgh Steelers pick, which will either be a sixth-rounder or a fourth-round selection (but only if quarterback Justin Fields plays 51 percent of the team’s snaps)
- A seventh-round pick from the Cleveland Browns, which was part of the Chris Williams trade
OK, so the Bears have seven picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. And while I’m not ready to dive into mock drafts yet (although, this one from ESPN’s Field Yates piques my interest), this feels like a good time to take inventory.
Having this amount of draft capital is not bad when you consider how many Day 3 picks the team has already sent away. Chicago dealt its 2025 fourth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills to trade back into the 2024 NFL Draft so they can take defensive end Austin Booker. Plus, the Bears just packaged a pair of picks to get Taylor and Williams. And yet, this team still has a trio of Day 3 picks to play around with if the front office chooses to do so. That is a quality bit of asset management by the Bears.
In the end, I’m left wondering if the Bears have any more trades in them ahead of the 3 p.m. CT deadline to trim rosters. Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and his front office have been creative in building the 2024 Bears, so I want to open my mind to the different paths this group of decision-makers could take to help make this team that much better for this season.
Perhaps there is another defensive lineman on the team’s radar. Maybe more offensive line help. There is a part of me that is also curious to see if Chicago will choose to ship out some players to add to their 2025 NFL Draft capital.
Is there a trade that makes sense for Khalil Herbert? It sure seemed as if there were moments this preseason in which the coaching staff was showcasing Herbert, who was leading Bears running backs in carries until Velus Jones Jr. snagged a bulk of the touches in the preseason finale. Could Chicago trade from the depth it has amassed at cornerback? Could a player-for-player trade happen? We saw one earlier in the preseason between the Minnesota Vikings and Dallas Cowboys, so it isn’t entirely implausible.
In the end, I find myself glad that the Bears ended their preseason slate of games on Thursday. In theory, this gives the team extra time to evaluate its in-house roster options and look at possible fits on other teams in exhibition season finales across the league. I hope the Bears take advantage of this scheduling quirk to bring on a fresh face (or two) to round out the squad.