Who Will the Bears Take at 25? Breaking Down the Most Likely Prospects
The Chicago Bears added several key players in free agency, such as star safety Coby Bryant, lightning-quick linebacker Devin Bush, and veteran wide receiver Kalif Raymond.
The Bears still have some holes to fill, and the draft is the perfect opportunity to address their remaining needs.
Biggest Positions of Need
Safety
With the additions of Coby Bryant and nickel/safety hybrid Cam Lewis, as well as resigning veteran Elijah Hicks, the Bears need at least one more safety. Coby Bryant is locked in as one of the starters. He has the versatility to play both in the box and back deep, which is what Dennis Allen prefers from his safeties. Elijah Hicks is returning for his fifth season with the Bears with an understanding of how Allen’s defense operates. However, I view Hicks and Cam Lewis as solid backups, which means the Bears need to find a starting safety in the draft.
Defensive Tackle
The Bears signed veteran DT Neville Gallimore to add to their room of Gervon Dexter, Grady Jarrett, and Shemar Turner. Gallimore is a smaller DT whose strength is generating pressure up the middle.
I think the Bears’ defensive tackle room is very “meh.” They need a star up front, someone who can stop the run and disrupt opposing offenses.
Defensive End
I don’t think the Bears’ defensive end room is all that good. They have a lot of guys, but really no difference makers. Montez Sweat is a good starting defensive end in the NFL. The Bears are paying Dayo Odeyingbo a lot of money, and I’m not very confident he’ll improve drastically after a season-ending injury (even if he is motivated). Austin Booker is the wildcard of this group. He’s just 23 years old and has shown flashes of being a special player. But I don’t know if I’m willing to take that gamble and pass on an edge rusher in Round 1. They also have Daniel Hardy and recently signed Kentavius Street.
Center
We likely know who will be starting at center on day one, and that’s Garrett Bradbury. The Bears traded for the veteran center before free agency to replace Drew Dalman after his sudden retirement. Bradbury (30 years old) has played in the NFL for seven seasons and didn’t allow a single sack last year while protecting Drake Maye. While Bradbury isn’t a long-term solution, he will be for next season. I anticipate the Bears to target a center at some point in the draft.
Kayden McDonald // Ohio State Defensive Tackle
As you can tell by the featured image, I think Kayden McDonald is the most likely selection for the Bears at 25.
The Bears need a defensive tackle who specializes in stopping the run and can also push back the offensive line to get pressure on the quarterback.
McDonald excels in both areas.
The 326 lb nose tackle would bring something to Chicago’s D-line they simply don’t have right now. The Bears were 26th in rushing yards allowed per game last season, and McDonald’s dominant run defense would solve that issue. He’s not the most agile athlete in the world, but his pass-rushing ability stems from his power. He’ll never be Jalen Carter in terms of getting to the quarterback, but that’s not why you draft him.
You draft him to stop the run and help collapse the pocket.
In his one season as a full-time starter at Ohio State, McDonald had 65 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, and 3 sacks. PFF gave him a 92.0 run-defense grade, the highest among all defensive tackles.
Kayden McDonald will visit the Bears on April 1 as one of their top-30 visits, so they are clearly interested in him. The Sun-Times interviewed McDonald and gave us some great insight.
McDonald told them:
“You know what you’re going to get out of me. I’m the strongest guy on the defense, and I’m a natural. Football comes easy for me.”
When asked about the Bears specifically, he said:
“They’ve talked to me a lot. I’m their No.1 guy. That’s what I feel like. They seem very excited to get me up there. They say they like how I play and my motor. I play all four quarters, and I’m relentless.”
Dennis Allen doesn’t typically invest high draft capital into DTs who are over 300lbs, but McDonald may be an exception.
Zion Young // Missouri Defensive End
Another player the Bears scheduled a top-30 visit with is Missouri defensive end Zion Young. Young is my second-favorite option for the Bears at pick 25. He’s a big and powerful edge rusher at 6’6″, 262 lbs, fitting the Dennis Allen mold. But his strength isn’t his only way of getting to the QB. Young ran a 4.75 40-yard dash (69th percentile) and is a fluid athlete.
His run defense is his biggest strength, as he has shown the ability to shed blockers and attack double teams. As a pass rusher, Young has developed effective swim and rip moves, while even throwing the occasional spin move that can be dangerous once improved. He also has a good enough bend to beat NFL tackles around the corner.
Having played in the SEC, Young is battle-tested. He finished his final season with 52 pressures and 8 sacks.
Zion Young would be an awesome addition to pair with Sweat and Austin Booker. I would have a lot more faith in the Bears’ pass rush, and their run defense would be much improved on day one.
Akheem Mesidor // Miami Defensive End
The Miami defensive line featured the best pass rush in college football with projected top-10 pick Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor. Mesidor is an interesting prospect, to say the least. He will be 25 years old when he hears his name called on draft day. But with age typically comes experience and refinement, which is exactly what Mesidor brings to the table.
Mesidor is probably the most refined pass rusher in this draft class. He has a wide array of pass rush moves, including swipes, cross-chops, long arm, and spin moves.
Those skills helped him rack up 12.5 sacks last season as Miami went on its run to the National Championship.
He isn’t the greatest or biggest athlete in the world (6’3″ 259 lbs), but he can get to the quarterback, and that’s what matters at the end of the day.
He’s solid in the run game, but you draft a guy like Mesidor to fix your pass-rushing issues, which we all know the Bears have had for a few years now.
Ryan Poles talked about Mesidor on the Todd McShay show during the combine. He said that older prospects are typically closer to their ceiling and went on to say:
“But, I think of a guy like Mesidor, a little bit on the older end… and you see this really cool player, and these guys have more refined plans going into the game. So, again, I think they’re closer to the ceiling, so the projection isn’t as great, but you kind of know what you’re going to get a little bit more.”
To me, the Bears should be fine with Mesidor’s age because they are ready to compete. They need someone who can help them win right now, and Mesidor might be the best guy for the job.
Dillon Thieneman // Oregon Safety
Thieneman is the first of two safeties I could see the Bears targeting in Round 1. I am so confident that this guy will be a great NFL player, but I’m not sure he’ll be available at 25. Thieneman is an extremely smart player who possesses some incredible ball skills and elite athleticism.
He ran a 4.35 40-yard dash, which is 98th percentile, and leaped 41 inches in the vertical jump (97th percentile). In coverage, Thieneman might be the best in this class. He typically plays deep safety, allowing him to read the quarterbacks’ eyes and be a ball hawk.
However, he has the versatility to play in the box, with 700 snaps logged there in his collegiate career.
The Bears would be getting a perfect replacement for Kevin Byard in Thieneman. He would be a day one starter in Chicago and a great complement to Coby Bryant.
If he’s available at 25, the Bears might pull the trigger to solidify their secondary.
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren // Toledo Safety
This safety class is loaded with talent, and Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is another likely first-rounder. He’s a big safety at 6’4″ (94th percentile) with absurd range who excels in coverage.
McNeil-Warren was a turnover machine at Toledo. He forced 2 interceptions last season and 9 fumbles in his career.
He also played mostly deep safety, which would allow Bryant to play more in the box.
It’s weird to see a first-round player from Toledo because of their lesser competition. But Eagles star cornerback Quinyon Mitchell proved that Toledo can produce NFL All-Pros.
NFL Draft analyst Bucky Brooks recently mocked McNeil-Warren to the Bears, and I could see it happening. I would rather have Thieneman if the Bears were to draft a safety, but if he’s off the board, I’d be excited to add McNeil-Warren to the secondary. It would be fun to watch his lengthy frame make plays on the backend.
After a productive free-agent period in which the Bears added several key players, they will now look to the draft to fill their remaining needs.
I think their selection at 25 will either be a DT, DE, or a safety, and I would be stoked to see any of these guys in navy and orange next season!
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