The Chicago Bears are fresh off a disappointing season in 2024 after finishing last in the NFC North for the third consecutive year. However, it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Chicago as 2024 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams threw for 3,541 yards on a 62.5% completion rate with a 20:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
With Williams, running back D’Andre Swift, and wideouts Rome Odunze and DJ Moore in place, the Bears have the foundation of a really strong offensive corps, especially with new head coach (and revered offensive wunderkind) Ben Johnson calling the shots.
The Johnson era is officially underway in Chicago, and it started with two trade acquisitions to improve the Bears’ offensive line in Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney. Now, Johnson is projected to add some explosiveness to their running game in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Bears Predicted To Pick Ashton Jeanty in the 2025 NFL Draft
With the Bears’ offensive line woes solved by the additions of Jackson and Thuney, PFSN’s latest seven-round mock draft by Ian Cummings predicts that Chicago will draft “generational” running back talent Ashton Jeanty with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
“The Chicago Bears were aggressive in acquiring Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, and rumor has it they’re after center Drew Dalman as well. Once the line is complete, Ashton Jeanty is the perfect RB to be Ben Johnson’s engine: a generational elusive force with a physical edge,” Cummings wrote.
Jeanty is one of the most decorated running backs in college football history and enters the draft as the consensus top running back. He offers outstanding playmaking ability and possesses the game-breaking attributes that can justify the Bears spending high draft capital on the RB position.
READ MORE: Ashton Jeanty NFL Draft Hub — Scouting Report, Player Profile, Projection, and More
NFL insider Daniel Jeremiah also believes Chicago could take Jeanty at No. 10 after adding Jackson and Thuney.
“You’ve now freed yourself up a little bit in both free agency and the draft. Because you don’t want to be in this situation where you have just this glaring need where you’ve got to grossly overpay, just in terms of what you’re going to give a free agent. Or, you’re reaching for somebody with that 10th overall pick,” he said on “The Rich Eisen Show.”
“Now it frees up some new names there, Rich. Jeanty is legitimately now in the conversation there if you’re the Bears,” Jeremiah added.
The idea of Jeanty alongside Williams in Chicago, with Johnson calling the plays, would be a mouth-watering prospect for Bears fans. For the rest of the NFC North, the 2025 Bears could be yet another serious contender in what is arguably already the most competitive division in football.
Jeanty’s College Career Overview
Coming out of high school, Jeanty was a four-star recruit and heavily pursued by several schools across the country. He ultimately chose Boise State over others, such as Kansas and Cal, and he quickly became the prize of the Broncos’ 2022 recruiting class.
Jeanty made an immediate impact on Boise State’s offense, even as a true freshman. He ran for 821 yards and seven touchdowns while splitting carries with George Holani. Then, Jeanty made all of college football take notice in 2023 by rushing for 1,347 yards and 14 touchdowns while also adding 569 receiving yards and five receiving scores.
Entering 2024, Jeanty was considered one of the best collegiate running backs and already tabbed as an early-round draft pick. He had multiple NIL offers from bigger Power Four schools, but Jeanty opted to stay loyal and remain in Boise for his final season.
That proved to be a prudent decision, as Jeanty put together a historical season by rushing for 2,601 yards and 29 touchdowns while leading Boise State to its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Following the Broncos’ loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl, Jeanty decided to forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2025 NFL Draft.
Does the Jeanty-Bears Union Make Sense?
While Jeanty would undoubtedly improve the Bears’ offense, is it the right move? After all, Chicago does already have Swift and rising third-year RB Roschon Johnson in the backfield.
One interesting note is that Johnson has previously coached Swift, so he is already familiar with the dynamic former Georgia Bulldog. However, the year Johnson took over as the Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator was the same season Swift dropped from 213 touches in 13 games to 147 in 14 games, with Detroit giving Jamaal Williams 274 touches instead.
Whether that is an indictment on Swift or a sign that Johnson (who had both Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery in Detroit) prefers to have multiple running backs, including one who can threaten defenses with more of a power element is unclear. Regardless, it does mean that the Bears could be looking to further add to their RB room like Detroit did when it drafted Gibbs (No. 12 pick).
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Swift had 295 touches in 2024 and 268 in 2023 (with the Philadelphia Eagles), proving he can handle a steady workload, but he was also well below the league average in rushing success rate (43.9%; NFL average in 2024: 49.6%) and was last in the NFL in rushing yards over expected (-174), per Next Gen Stats.
That could be attributed to Chicago’s poor offensive line play, though they’re reputation was exacerbated by Williams’ pocket management struggles and the unit finished 14th in PFSN’s OL+ metric. With an improved infrastructure, Williams’ development, and a more talented O-line, Swift could be in for a more efficient 2025, it just may come with more competition in tow.
As much as I love the idea of the Bears grabbing Jeanty at #10, I think that flew out the window with the Raiders trading for Geno Smith…they’ll be taking Jeanty ahead of the Bears unfortunately.