Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: More Depth in the Trenches

The 2025 NFL Draft is just weeks away and mock drafts are flying around everywhere. Every fan loves to see who their team can potentially add in the draft and also play internet-general manager and bash picks that they do not personally agree with. Football fans are the best!

With a few weeks to go, we typically are able to piece together how the top ten picks should fall based on reports and team needs. However, with the lack of depth at the quarterback position this year, it can be difficult to truly predict where guys are going to fall. Last year we knew Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye were going to be top-ten picks. Michael Penix Jr., Bo Nix, and J.J. McCarthy were super talented, but not many expected all of them to go in the first round as well.

Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders are currently the only two quarterbacks surely going in the first round. Will a team trade up for Jaxson Dart or select him in the first round? That could shake things up for sure. The good news for the Bears is that they do not need a quarterback and attacked the trenches via trade and free agency so can truly look at the best player available with their selections. Let's see how that strategy could play out in this mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 10: Will Campbell, T, LSU

In this exercise, Armand Membou was the first tackle taken likely due to his arm length, but I don't think the Bears would be upset if Campbell "fell" to them at 10. While the arm length is under the 33" that most teams seek at the tackle spot, you simply cannot look past the football player here. Campbell faced the best talent in the country in the SEC and dominated for the most part.

The Bears shored up their offensive line, but the verdict on Braxton Jones is still one to be answered. He seems right on schedule recovering from surgery on his ankle, but head coach Ben Johnson recently advised that Jones may be limited in training camp. He should be fine to begin the year, but adding Campbell should be an easy call if available. The Bears brought in Joe Thuney to anchor the inside of the offensive line, but he is 32 years old and likely only has a couple of dominant years left. Regardless of where you project Campbell on the offensive line, he will come in and be an anchor for years.

Round 2, Pick 39: Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame

Safety is not a glaring, immediate need for the Bears, but is definitely a position they will need to address very soon. Kevin Byard will be entering the final year of his contract and the health of Jaquan Brisker is always a question mark, unfortunately. Watts may not see all the snaps in his rookie year, but he can replace Byard easily after this season. Dennis Allen could surely find packages to get Watts on the field and add playmaking to an already solid defensive backfield.

Watts has elite ball skills and instincts, but is not going to intimidate anyone from coming over the middle of the field. If Brisker can stay healthy, they can complement each other very well with Brisker loading boxes and providing some thumping with Watts covering the back end. Watts had seven interceptions in 2023 and another six this past season. He is constantly around the ball and making plays on it.

The best player approach can work out perfectly for the Bears here where they can add an elite safety that is not necessarily a position of need at the time. There were only two consensus All-Americans in both 2023/24 - Heisman winner Travis Hunter and Xavier Watts.

Round 2, Pick 41: TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

It is no secret that the Bears will likely add a running back in the draft. Many mock drafts have them grabbing Ashton Jeanty with their tenth-overall selection, but if he is not available there should be plenty of options with one of their second-round picks. Henderson, Kaleb Johnson, Quinshon Judkins, and Cam Skattebo are all options here, but in this scenario, we go with Henderson due to his big-play ability, pass protection, vision, and hands.

While he is not going to be the same player Jahmyr Gibbs is, he can provide something similar to the Bears running back room as someone who is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He ran a 4.43-40-yard dash at the combine which is a tick faster than D'Andre Swift who has already shown he can break the long one. Henderson is probably the best back in the draft when it comes to pass protection as well - something that should not be overlooked when evaluating running backs.

Round 3, Pick 72: Jordan Burch, ED, Oregon

We know Dennis Allen has a type at defensive end - illustrated by the signing of Dayo Odeyingbo who is a freak athlete. Who does NFL Network's Lance Zeirlein compare Burch to? Odeyingbo. At 6'4", 240 lbs, Burch has the ideal size and length for the position and also ran a blistering 4.67 40-yard dash. Adding Burch to a room with Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat would give the Bears some real freaks at the edge position.

He is not currently a creative pass-rusher or dominant in the run game, but you are betting on the traits here. He played in ten games this past season, missing four with an injury. He finished with 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, and 31 tackles. He will need to develop some in the NFL, but the athleticism jumps off the page. He can also provide some depth on special teams if needed. He was even involved in a fake punt by the Ducks this season.

Round 5, Pick 148: Jake Briningstool, TE, Clemson

The Bears brought in veteran Durham Smythe to their tight end room, but he will likely be utilized in a blocking role mainly. After Cole Kmet, they do not have much depth at the position. Briningstool is not going to provide much in the blocking department, but he is a capable pass-catcher and has great size to provide mismatches in the red zone. Adding another 6'6" tight end to pair with Kmet can create some real headaches for defenses.

Briningstool set the record for career receptions by a tight end at Clemson with 127. He was a third-team All-ACC selection finishing 2024 with 49 catches, 530 yards, and seven touchdowns. He is not going to beat man coverage consistently, but his size makes him a threat at all times. He will not run away from many linebackers or safeties, but saw a lot of success on misdirection plays at Clemson. Ben Johnson could surely draw up some two-tight end looks and get him open.

Round 7, Pick 233: Smael Mondon Jr., LB, Georgia

Similar to safety, linebacker is not an immediate need for the Bears but they lack depth at the position for sure. Tremaine Edmunds did not have a good year last year and will be a cut candidate if he does not have a stellar 2025 season. The Bears also lost Jack Sanborn in free agency so will need to add some depth to the position. Mondon Jr. is a very athletic linebacker who relies on said athleticism versus actually diagnosing plays.

He does possess above-average pass coverage ability and blitzing skills. He can bring special teams value early on and can potentially grow into a three-down linebacker. A linebacker that can also cover well is a weapon any defensive coordinator would love to have. He lined up all over Georgia's defense including edge, inside linebacker, and even slot cornerback.

It is always a good strategy to take a shot on a guy from Alabama or Georgia later in the draft and Mondon Jr. might be someone who can develop into a quality starter in the league.

Round 7, Pick 240: Thor Griffith, DT, Louisville

The guy's name is Thor, come on. Griffith spent three years at Harvard before transferring to Louisville for his last year in an attempt to increase his draft stock. He was named to the first-team All-Ivy League in both 2022 and 2023. In 2024 he had 19 total tackles and 3 sacks with the Cardinals. He completely dominated the Ivy League and was disruptive in the ACC after.

In 2024, he was ranked 18th out of 895 qualifying interior defenders per PFF. He has elite strength as he reportedly can bench 225 lbs 45 times. He is definitely a better run defender than pass rusher with his frame being very low to the ground at 6'2" and 320 lbs.

Griffith should be able to hold his own in an NFL camp and push for a roster spot. The Bears currently have some solid starting options in Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and Andrew Billings. Chris Williams showed some flashes last season as well. After that, however, they do not really have anyone who has shown they can provide quality play. They could definitely use some depth on the interior defensive line and Griffith can provide just that.

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