After a last-minute loss to the Lions and some imperfect clock management, the Chicago Bears fired head coach Matt Eberflus. The Bears now turn to Thomas Brown, who in recent weeks has gone from passing game coordinator to offensive coordinator to interim head coach. Now he has the challenge of taking over the four-win Bears who are technically still in the playoff hunt. However, with a playoff probability of under 1%, according to NFL.com, it’s no surprise that Bears fans are starting to look ahead to the 2025 offseason.
Before we start the seven round mock draft, we need to establish a couple of ground rules. I used the mock draft simulator on mockdraftdatabase.com and didn’t make any trades. Considering we don’t know the exact scheme that Chicago is going to be running next season, I leaned on the consensus big board in this mock.
Round 1: Mason Graham, DL – Michigan
In my Thanksgiving Day first-round mock, I slotted Texas OT Kelvin Banks to Chicago. The Bears need offensive line help, especially in the middle with Teven Jenkins hitting free agency this offseason. However, in the mock draft simulator, both Banks and LSU’s Will Campbell were gone. Instead of reaching for the next best offensive lineman, I stayed with the big board and drafted Michigan DL Mason Graham. Graham has been a force for Michigan this season, ranking in the 96 percentile or better in both Pass Rush and Run Defense AI grade.
Round 2: Tyler Booker, G – Alabama & Shemar Stewart, ED – Texas A&M
I mocked Alabama’s Tyler Booker to the Detroit Lions at the end of the first round in my previous mock draft. However, in the mock draft simulation, he was available to me with my first selection in the second round. I grabbed him to potentially replace Tevin Jenkins, who might be leaving in free agency. Booker was a productive pass protector in Tuscaloosa, ranking in the 95th percentile in Pass Blocking AI grade.
The Bears have an extra pick in the second round thanks to their trade with the Panthers that sent the number one overall pick (Bryce Young) to Carolina. We get another value add here in the second round with Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart. I mocked Stewart in the first round to the Eagles on Thanksgiving, yet he’s still here for our second selection in the second round. Stewart, and his 98th percentile AI Run Defense grade, will pair nicely with Pro Bowler Montez Sweat.
Round 3: Xavier Watts, S – Notre Dame
The Bears have safeties Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Elijah Hicks under contract for next season, so safety isn’t an immediate need. But Notre Dame’s Xavier Watts might be too good to pass up in the third round. He ranks in the 92nd percentile or better in our Burst and Estimated 40 metrics and was 83rd percentile in AI coverage grade. He could start as a solid rotational or special teams player as he moves into the starting rotation later in his career.
Round 5: Chase Paul Jr., LB – Ole Miss
The Bears don’t have a fourth-round pick in this years draft. They traded it away to the Bills for the 144th pick in the 2024 draft, which they used on Austin Booker from Kansas. So, it’s onto the fifth round. Once we get into the later rounds, I’m all about value. There’s no need to reach in an area where the hit rate on players is so low. The Bears already have Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards under contract for next season, but adding Ole Miss’ Chris Paul Jr. would be a solid addition, if only as a sub coverage linebacker. He ranked in the 84th percentile in AI Coverage grade and 86th percentile in our Burst metric.
Round 6: Barion Brown, WR – Kentucky
Keenan Allen is a free agent in 2025, and the Bears are going to have to replace him in the starting lineup. They have DJ Moore and last year’s first round pick, Rome Odunze, as receiver one and two, but they need a third. Taking a shot this late on a speedster like Kentucky’s Barion Brown is not a bad gamble. Brown ranked in the 95th percentile in both our estimated 40 metric and Burst metric.
Round 7: DJ Giddens, RB – Kansas State & Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, OT – Florida
Chicago has two selections in the seventh round, but neither originally belonged to them. They traded their seventh-round pick to Miami as a part of the Chase Claypool trade that sent back a fifth-round pick to the Bears. They acquired one seventh round pick from Cleveland in the Chris Williams trade this summer and one from Cincinnati in the Khalil Herbert trade earlier this season.
With my first selection in the seventh round, the Bears add running back DJ Giddens from Kansas State, who ranked in the 93rd percentile in our Estimated 40 metric to run behind Pro Bowler D’Andre Swift. For the last pick, I took a flyer on Florida OT Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson. The 6’7”/322-pound San Diego State transfer ranked in the 81st percentile in our AI Pass Block grade this season.
