The NFL Draft is rapidly approaching, and the Chicago Bears, owners of the 10th overall pick, are in a good spot to secure an elite blue-chip player.
However, instead of focusing on the glitz and glamour, as they did in 2024 with selecting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, the strategy must change. While Williams was a fine pick, as talented as Odunze was, the Bears should have taken the opportunity to address their offensive line.
Don't be fooled, Odunze is a good player and Braxton Jones is a solid left tackle, but if the Bears had drafted a left tackle instead of a wide receiver, it would have been beneficial in the long run. Maybe Odunze will turn out to be the right pick, but right now, the Bears need linemen.
Matter of fact, the Bears don't need just linemen, they need blue chip elite level players. They need to start taking the best player available, see the Philadelphia Eagles and their strategies. Howie Roseman has prided himself on taking the best player available while placing a heavy emphasis on reloading and developing the lines of scrimmage. It is a strategy that has served the Eagles well, see Super Bowls LII and LIX along with LVII (a loss).
The Chicago Bears cannot afford to draft any more project players. Take the best player on the board when you are on the clock.
Many Bears fans believe that Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty is the player that will fall to the Bears at No. 10. If that is the case, Jeanty would be an excellent choice as he is clearly an elite player. However, some will want an offensive tackle or defensive linemen such as a Will Campbell or perhaps a Mason Graham (if a miracle occurs), or even a elite tight end prospect like Tyler Warren, if he were to be at 10.
Here's the bottom line. All four of the above mentioned are blue-chip elite players. If any of them are on the board at No. 10, the Bears cannot take any trade calls and must proceed forward and make the pick that they feel is the best player. But, what if there is none of them? As disheartening as it may be, the best option would be to trade back and regroup and find a new option. But let's not go that route, let's be positive.
If Jeanty is on the board at No. 10, he's the pick. BUT, if Campbell and Jeanty were both available, that would be tricky. Conventional thoughts are that Jeanty is the one, but Campbell as a left tackle blocker for years to come would likely be the better choice, although tougher. If Graham somehow slips to 10, don't even hesitate. The Michigan defensive tackle has Pro Bowler written all over him.
However, let us say for the sake of arguement that Jeanty, Graham, and Campbell are all gone at No. 10, which is highly likely, and Warren is there. As hard as it may be to want to trade down and get more picks and get a left tackle, at this point, a blue-chipper like Warren has to be choice. It may not be a popular choice, but the Bears have a thin slip of elite players, and Warren would add to it.
In the end, whenever the Bears are on the clock, it is all about taking the best player available for their team. It does not matter. The whole team matters, not just one group. You need elite players to win a Super Bowl, and the Eagles showed it. Perhaps the Bears should follow that model, especially if they wish to stop going back to 1985 and instead focus on 2025 and the future.