The 2025 NFL draft is in the books, and the Chicago Bears are gearing up for the next stage of their offseason before breaking for the summer.
The Bears had four picks in the first two rounds of the draft, which included some impactful additions of tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III, offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner. They also added some high upside rookies in linebacker Ruben Hyppolite III, cornerback Zah Frazier, guard Luke Newman and running backs Kyle Monangai on Day 3.
Following the NFL draft, here’s an early look at our early 53-man roster projection for the Bears:
Quarterback (3)
- Caleb Williams
- Case Keenum
- Tyson Bagent
There’s no surprise when it comes to quarterback where Caleb Williams, entering his first full offseason, is entrenched as the starter. But Chicago did shake things up at backup quarterback with the signing of Case Keenum, who will serve as a mentor for Williams and compete with Tyson Bagent for the backup job.
Running back (4)
- D’Andre Swift
- Roschon Johnson
- Kyle Monangai
- Travis Homer
The Bears missed out on some top running backs early in the NFL draft, but they circled back around in the seventh round to land Kyle Monangai out of Rutgers. He’ll contend with D’Andre Swift and Roschon Johnson for carries, but that also boots Ian Wheeler out of a roster spot. Travis Homer gets the nod on special teams.
Wide receiver (6)
- DJ Moore
- Rome Odunze
- Luther Burden III
- Olamide Zaccheaus
- Devin Duvernay
- Tyler Scott
DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are the clear-cut starters at receiver where they’ll continue to build their chemistry with Williams. But rookie Luther Burden III, who was surprisingly available at 39th overall, will also factor into Ben Johnson’s offense and should see substantial targets — be it inside, outside or even in the backfield. Behind those three, Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay and Tyler Scott are the depth pieces.
Tight end (3)
- Cole Kmet
- Colston Loveland
- Durham Smythe
Ben Johnson likes to utilize a lot of 12 personnel, so the selection of Colston Loveland at 10th overall wasn’t a big surprise. Loveland will serve as a 1-2 punch alongside Cole Kmet giving quarterback Caleb Williams a myriad of options in the passing game. The Bears signed Durham Smythe, who was previously coached by Johnson in Miami, earlier this offseason, and he’ll serve as a blocking tight end.
Offensive line (10)
- Joe Thuney
- Jonah Jackson
- Drew Dalman
- Darnell Wright
- Braxton Jones
- Kiran Amegadjie
- Ozzy Trapilo
- Luke Newman
- Ryan Bates
- Bill Murray
The entire interior offensive line was overhauled this offseason with the acquisitions of guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, via trade, and Drew Dalman, through free agency. Essentially, the starting offensive line is set, but there could be some competition at left tackle between Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie and second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo.
Edge rusher (4)
- Montez Sweat
- Dayo Odeyingbo
- Austin Booker
- Daniel Hardy
The Bears need more out of their pass rush, even with Montez Sweat leading the way. They made a move in free agency to land a rising talent in Dayo Odeyingbo, but there’s still plenty of work to be done. Austin Booker showed flashes in his rookie season, but he needs to make strides as a rotational player. Dennis Allen could explore kicking interior defenders, like Gervon Dexter and rookie Shemar Turner, outside on certain plays.
Defensive tackle (5)
- Grady Jarrett
- Gervon Dexter
- Andrew Billings
- Shemar Turner
- Zacch Pickens
Chicago had a solid duo of Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter last season, but things went downhill after Billings was lost for the season due to a torn pec as Dexter’s play suffered. Now, the Bears added a dominant defender in Grady Jarrett, who is a force as an interior pass rusher, as well as second-round pick Shemar Turner, who could make an impact as a rookie. For now, Zacch Pickens beats out Chris Williams for the final roster spot, but that could change.
Linebacker (5)
- T.J. Edwards
- Tremaine Edmunds
- Ruben Hyppolite II
- Noah Sewell
- Amen Ogbongbemiga
There aren’t really big changes at linebacker with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds once again set to lead the charge. But the Bears will have to deal with the loss of Jack Sanborn, who they opted not to tender as a restricted free agent. That’s where the selection of Ruben Hyppolite II, a fourth-round selection, comes in. He’ll compete with former fifth-round pick Noah Sewell, along with returning depth piece and special teams ace Amen Ogbongbemiga, for playing time on defense.
Cornerback (6)
- Jaylon Johnson
- Kyler Gordon
- Tyrique Stevenson
- Terell Smith
- Josh Blackwell
- Zah Frazier
Cornerback is arguably the strongest position group on the roster, and they still opted to land a potential sleeper in Zah Frazier in the fifth round. Jaylon Johnson, coming off his second Pro Bowl nod, will lead a group also featuring Kyler Gordon, who recently signed a contract extension. But Tyrique Stevenson, who has plenty to prove after a disastrous sophomore season, will face competition from Frazier and Terell Smith.
Safety (4)
- Kevin Byard
- Jaquan Brisker
- Jonathan Owens
- Elijah Hicks
Chicago’s starting safety duo is set with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, both entering the final year of their respective deals. Byard was one of the defense’s MVPs last season, while Brisker missed most of the year following a Week 5 concussion. Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks will continue to serve as key depth and special teams contributors.
Specialists
- Cairo Santos
- Tory Taylor
- Scott Daly
The Bears are returning their starting special teams unit with kicker Cairo Santos, punter Tory Taylor and long snapper Scott Daly. Patrick Scales missed last season following back surgery, and Daly stepped up in his place and even earned a one-year contract extension this offseason.
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