NFL mock draft: Chicago Bears stick to trenches at No. 10 overall

It’s almost here. After months of debate about who goes where, the NFL draft will start this week.

The draft will open with the first round Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and then continue through Saturday. For more information on how to watch the draft and what to expect, head over to Shaw Media’s 2025 draft guide for Bears fans.

Although he no longer has the No. 1 overall pick like last year, there’s plenty of intrigue in what Bears general manger Ryan Poles will do with the No. 10 overall pick. Will he continue to boost the offensive and defensive lines? Or will he give new head coach Ben Johnson a new offensive weapon?

Shaw Media’s Michal Dwojak tried to figure out how the first round of this year’s draft will unfold. Below is his first and only mock draft.

Team	Player, position, college	Analysis
1. Titans	Cam Ward, QB, Miami	The Titans have seemed locked in on Ward for about a month. New GM Mike Borgonzi gets his quarterback.
2. Browns	Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado	Cleveland has looked for a playmaker. They get one potentially on both sides of the ball in the 2025 Heisman winner.
3. Giants	Abdul Carter, Edge, Penn State	The Giants could go with a quarterback here. Instead, they take a potential cornerstone pass rusher.
4. Patriots	Will Campbell, OT, LSU	The Patriots don’t overthink it and look too much into arm length. They get their tackle to protect quarterback Drake Maye.
5. Jaguars	Mason Graham, DT, Michigan	There’s temptation to get an offensive playmaker for new head coach Liam Coen. The Jaguars fill a need at defensive tackle instead.
6. Raiders	Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State	New Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has always succeeded with an elite running back. He gets another one in Jeanty.
7. Jets	Armand Membou, OT, Missouri	New Jets management boosts the offensive line for new quarterback Justin Fields. Membou makes the most sense.
8. Panthers	Jalon Walker, Edge/LB, Georgia	The Panthers and Walker have been linked to each as much as the Titans and Ward. Walker fills a major need for Carolina.
9. Saints	Shedeur Sanders, QB, Colorado	The Derek Carr shoulder injury forces the Saints to go with a quarterback. Sanders could be a playmaker under new head coach Kellen Moore.
10. Bears	Kelvin Banks Jr., OT, Texas	Poles sticks to his offensive line overhaul with Banks to ensure quarterback Caleb Williams can succeed. Banks has the traits to compete at left tackle from day one.
11. 49ers	Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi	Since the Bears take Banks at No. 10, the 49ers boost the interior of their defensive line with Nolen.
12. Cowboys	Matthew Golden, WR, Texas	The Cowboys need to get CeeDee Lamb help in the wide receiver room. Golden is a top option to do just that.
13. Dolphins	Will Johnson, CB, Michigan	The Dolphins are looking to fill a major hole at cornerback after agreeing to explore trades for Jalen Ramsey. Will Johnson is an obvious choice here.
14. Colts	Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State	Warren drops in this scenario, and the Colts get a top offensive weapon for quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Daniel Jones.
15. Falcons	Mike Green, Edge, Marshall	The Falcons need help pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Green should make an instant impact from Day 1.
16. Cardinals	Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas	After boosting their defensive line during the offseason, the Cardinals add Barron. He’ll provide depth from the perimeter and inside.
17. Bengals	Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon	There’s plenty to address on the Bengals’ defense. Cincinnati decides to start with the interior of their line.
18. Seahawks	Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona	The Seahawks could choose to go with an offensive lineman here. Instead, they address another need with a young wideout.
19. Buccaneers	Jihaad Campbell, LB, Alabama	Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles might have a hard time not pushing for Campbell, who would fit well in his defense.
20. Broncos	Omarion Hampton, RB, North Carolina	The Broncos jump at adding the next best available running back behind Jeanty to put talent around quarterback Bo Nix.
21. Steelers	Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan	Steelers might be tempted to draft a quarterback here. But with Ward and Sanders off the board, they hold off until later in the draft and take Grant.
22. Chargers	Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan	Tight end is a major need for the Chargers. Loveland should fill that hole with with ability to both catch and block.
23. Packers	Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M	Although the Packers have needs at cornerback and wide receiver, Stewart’s potential might be too hard to pass up.
24. Seahawks (mock trade with Vikings)	Grey Zabel, G/C, North Dakota State	The Vikings have only four draft picks this year, and the Seahawks have five in the first three rounds. They link up for the day’s first trade, and Seattle adds an interior lineman.
25. Texans	Tyler Booker, G, Alabama	The Texans need to continue revamping their offensive line after failing to protect quarterback C.J. Stroud. Booker should boost the interior.
26. Rams	Maxwell Hairston, CB, Kentucky	With Jihaad Campbell off the board, the Rams address the cornerback position as many of their top options are due new contracts next year.
27. Ravens	Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina	The Ravens have a number of different needs. Emmanwori dropping to them makes their decision pretty easy.
28. Lions	Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia	The Lions have a hole at edge opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. They address is by taking Williams.
29. Browns (mock trade with Commanders)	Jaxson Dart, QB, Mississippi	Cleveland gets nervous as the draft moves along and gets back into the first round to draft Dart.
30. Bills	Trey Amos, CB, Mississippi	The Bills address a major need by drafting Amos, who should fit well in head coach Sean McDermott’s defense.
31. Chiefs	Josh Simmons, OT, Ohio State	Although the Chiefs addressed the left tackle spot in free agency, they continue to tackle the spot by selecting Simmons.
32. Eagles	Malaki Starks, S, Georgia	The defending champions draft another defensive players from Georgia, this time beefing up the safety spot with Starks.