Chicago Bears: Four Positions Groups To Watch At The NFL Combine

Although players and team executives have already started showing up at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine, the on-field fun kicks off on Thursday, February 27th. Franchises will look to start laying the groundwork on upcoming free agents while also getting more insight into their early draft boards.

For a team like the Chicago Bears, they’ll be looking to balance their free agency plans with long-term pieces in the draft. The team’s needs are clear; many will be in the trenches. The offensive line will be the primary focus, but the defensive line also needs plenty of work. From there, expect the Bears to fill out other needs that will help new head coach Ben Johnson in his quest to build out his new offense.

With the fun of the offseason about to begin, here are four positions to watch at the combine over the next week.

Reading any mock draft or free agency projection focused on the Bears and the offensive line is something everyone can agree on as this team’s most significant need in the coming months. All three Week 1 starting interior offensive linemen from last season are set to hit free agency. On top of that, Matt Pryor, who started 15 games last season, is also set to hit the market. Teven Jenkins is the biggest name set to test his value, but center Coleman Shelton also put out some quality tape over the course of last year.

Regardless of how you cut it, the Bears need to get a lot better on the interior, which needs to happen now. Jenkins’ lack of availability will likely lead to his departure in a few weeks. Shelton could be brought back on a cheaper deal, but with multiple projected upgrades in both free agency and the draft, it’s easy to assume that Chicago will wait to make a final determination on him. Pryor feels like the most likely to return on a cheap deal. General manager Ryan Poles would be wise to retain quality depth, but this would be a move with the understanding that, at best, Pryor is platooning with a rookie in training camp for a starting spot.

Unfortunately for the Bears, this isn’t a strong draft class. Most of the tackles have length concerns. Most of the genuine interior prospects are mid-to-late round values. In a more likely scenario, the Bears, like most teams, will have to look for an offensive guard who played the majority of his college snaps at tackle. Although this is not an uncommon practice, it takes a bit of projection.

With a brand new coaching staff at the helm, it’ll take some time for fans to understand what they’ll look for regarding traits. Even so, it’s easy to carve out some names that fans should watch during measurements and athletic testing.

The Bears are in a tough spot regarding value at No. 10 overall. Could they go with a surprise pick? Absolutely. They could opt to dip into a deep defensive tackle class or even go edge rusher. Heading into the offseason, the offensive line is the most likely selection. Campbell makes the most sense but is also the least likely to be around. Banks is an interesting evaluation, but he could start at guard and swing out to tackle in a year if Braxton Jones leaves for free agency. Membou might be the most polished right tackle prospect, but does it make sense to slide Darnell Wright to the left tackle position where he struggled in college? Simmons is coming off a torn ACL, or he would be the first offensive lineman off the board. Connery feels like a late first-round talent, and Booker does, too. Booker’s testing will be interesting. Although he was rock solid in college, his lack of athleticism and heavy feet could deter a team like the Bears from looking at him in a trade-down scenario.

Depending on what Chicago does in free agency, Day 2 could be the sweet spot when it comes to drafting a long-term answer on the offensive line. Zabel, Jackson, Savaiinaea, and Milum all project as Week 1 starters on the interior. Zabel’s rise from the Senior Bowl has been impressive, but I can’t help but feel like that will level out by the time late April comes around. Jackson started the season at guard before sliding out to left tackle for the injured Simmons. He brings versatility and should go in Round 2. Savaiinaea and Milum are both college tackles that will likely slide inside due to limitations. Ersey and Trapilo are interesting names if the Bears want another developmental tackle. Rutledge and Mbow are two other names that could likely be had in the third round.

Day 3 involves much more projection, but plenty of starters are found on the final day of each draft class in the trenches. Wilson is a sneaky name who could start by Week 1 but will likely be gone before Chicago makes their first Day 3 selection. Monheim is a name to keep an eye on as a developmental center. Slater and Webb are both interesting small-school prospects, but the latter has some character concerns that range back to high school and will need to be addressed.

Trenches, trenches, and more trenches. That’s where the Bears’ primary focus needs to be once the offseason officially kicks off. While it’s possible that they could choose to sink a sizable resource (or two) during free agency, they’ll need to find a way to balance out their overall spending with some younger, cheaper players. Defensive end stands out as the most significant need in this group, but with an impressive top-half of the tackle class, Chicago would be wise to make another investment to go with Gervon Dexter Sr. and Andrew Billings.

The talent does fall off after the Top 100 prospects for both groups, but a trade could net Chicago an extra pick in the Top 100, so there’s a chance that they could add both an end and a tackle over their first several picks. Like former head coach Matt Eberflus, new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen prefers bigger defensive linemen. On the edge, look for long, traitsy athletes. Allen has leaned toward big bodies with well-rounded skill sets on the interior.

This is an interesting group on Day 1. Assuming the Bears take care of most of their offensive line needs before the draft, the focus could move to the defensive line. Barring a miracle, Graham doesn’t appear likely to make it to No. 10 overall. Williams and Stewart have similar prospects regarding measurables but lack college production. Pearce Jr. might make the most sense, assuming all checks out at the combine. Scourton is someone I’ve seen projected as early as the mid-first round and as late as the second round’s tail-end. He fits the mold that Allen typically prefers. Grant and Harmon might be closer to late Day 1 or early Day 2 names, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see one of them end up in the Top 15. Finally, Green’s college production and impressive Senior Bowl showing have him flying up boards. I wonder if his size/length will be an issue for a team like the Bears.

In this group, there are many players that scream “traits” but will require development. Tuimoloau and Sawyer are very good players, but I question ceiling with them. Williams and Collins are the prime Day 2 tackles that I’d be watching if I were general manager Ryan Poles. Umanmielen is the most polished edge rusher on this list that I believe would fit Allen’s mold. Jackson and Ivey are both high-ceiling players with some developmental risk involved. Ezeiruaku might be a little too small in this scheme, but he has plenty of tools as a pass rusher. Walker is a big, dancing bear type of player, but he plays extremely high and gets knocked back quite a bit despite his size. Think of a bigger Dexter. Norman-Lott and Sanders are both prototypical three techniques that aren’t nearly as big but should produce in pass rush packages in Year 1.

This time last year, Poles was determined to fix the running back room. After striking out on Saquon Barkley and Josh Jacobs, he pivoted to D’Andre Swift. Although the former Detroit Lion had some nice moments in Year 1, it’s worth noting that Johnson played a role in Detroit trading Swift to the Eagles in 2023. Unfortunately for Chicago, there’s no actual “out” in Swift’s contract without eating a sizable amount of dead cap. They’d be foolish to rest on their laurels and wait another year to build a remade running back room.

The good news is that this is an outstanding running back class that is extremely deep. Even if it takes another year to get this group the way Johnson wants it, Step 1 is adding a Week 1 contributor in April. Even if Ashton Jeanty would be a fun pick at No. 10 overall, it’s hard to envision many scenarios where spending that high of a pick on a luxury addition will be justifiable.

Don’t get me wrong: Jeanty is an excellent talent. Many believe he’s the best talent to come from college since Bijan Robinson a few years ago. Even if that’s the case, the Bears aren’t in a position to spend a Top 10 pick on an offensive skill position. Jeanty will make some team very happy, but timing is everything, and it’s not the right time for Chicago. There’s a chance there will be more than one running back that goes in Round 1, but for now, I’ll leave Jeanty in his own class.

With four picks on Day 2, the Bears should target one of these players in this group. As I noted above, there’s a chance that Hampton and/or Johnson end up going on Day 1. Both are physical runners, but Johnson runs a little more upright and doesn’t possess as much value as a pass catcher. Henderson and Judkins did wonders for Ohio State’s national championship run. Henderson has struggled to stay healthy over his last two seasons but is the more explosive playmaker. Judkins is more physical but is well-rounded, similar to former Bear David Montgomery. Sampson is an explosive runner, as is Harvey. Skattebo had quite a few impressive performances, but none more than in the playoffs. Top-end speed is the question there. Martinez is a big, highly physical runner, but lateral speed and his pass-catching abilities could knock him down to the latter part of the third round. Neal is another fun runner with excellent body control and an ability to force missed tackles. Pass-catching ability and top-end speed are questions there. This group has flaws, but overall, finding a contributor to Johnson’s one-two punch would be a big win on Day 2.

For my money, Tuten is the most impressive name that could be found on Day 3. He’s a physical runner that has shown plenty of versatility. Monangai is an explosive runner with home run ability. The issue is that he wasn’t involved in the passing game and has not proven to be good as a blocker. Gordon II was one of the best running backs in college football in 2023 before taking a startling step back in 2024. The question that needs to be answered is how much of his struggles came from the team’s issues. The rest of this list is filled with plenty of upside gambles, but each one has glaring holes in their games. One thing to remember: Each year, teams find starting-level contributors on Day 3 of the draft. In this deep of a class, that could be an even more significant factor for 2025.

There’s no question that the team’s plan at tight end for 2024 did not materialize. After giving Gerald Everett a two-year, $12 million contract in free agency, his production (8 receptions for 36 yards) resembled more of an undrafted free agent than a $6 million per year player. Cole Kmet had his lowest yards (474) and reception (47) total since his rookie year.

Everett was released this past weeked. Kmet is fresh off a newly signed extension and provided value when called upon, even in a down year. Even with their 25-year-old tight end in the fold for the foreseeable future, they will need more depth and another true receiving option. The Lions lined up in 12 personnel more than any other team in the league last season.

With the presence of Kmet, it seems unlikely that the Bears would spend a first-round selection on a tight end, but Day 2 or early Day 3 could make a lot more sense, especially in a deep class with plenty of talent spread out.

As noted above, it seems highly unlikely that Chicago will take a tight end in the first round. Maybe if Kmet wasn’t on the roster, but similar to running back this early, it feels more like a luxury pick than anything else. This is a deep group of tight ends, and while the top two names are borderline elite prospects, the Bears have many more pressing needs that are unlikely to be addressed by free agency.

Depending on free agency and the board and whether it’s had a trenches focus, they may be able to afford a skill position pick or two now. Arroyo fits the mold of a Sam LaPorta, but there’s a good chance he will go in Round 2. Fanning Jr. is another fun name that produced quite a bit at Boston College. I do worry about the stiffness in his play, though. The evaluations of Taylor are all over the place, and it’s fair to wonder where many would have him if he hadn’t been playing for LSU. Gadsden II and Helm are two more players who could fit that “U” spot in Johnson’s offense. Both should be there in the third round.

Similar to most positions, Day 3 becomes a lot more about projection. Ferguson is a borderline late Day 2 player who likely slides into Day 3. Evans and Lachay are solid players from schools that have consistently churned out some very good players in the position. Ultimately, this will be about identifying a developmental player with the hopes that he can produce in Year 2, maybe Year 3. Ideally, the Bears would find someone early in Day 3 that could fit the mold of what they are looking for, but Day 2 is probably the better spot to grab one of these guys in what is regarded as a shallow class overall.