{"id":22431,"date":"2025-05-04T05:52:07","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T05:52:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/22431\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T05:52:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T05:52:07","slug":"breaking-down-bears-2025-draft-class-best-picks-final-grade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/22431\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking down Bears’ 2025 draft class: Best picks, final grade"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Chicago Bears<\/a>\u00a0welcomed eight new rookies<\/a>\u00a0to the roster during the 2025 NFL draft, which included a pair of playmakers in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with their first two selections.<\/p>\n

Chicago also shored up the trenches with the second-round selections of offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner. The\u00a0Bears<\/a>\u00a0also found some potential late-round gems with linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, cornerback Zah Frazier, guard Luke Newman and running back Kyle Monangai on Day 3.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s far too early to start evaluating this rookie class before they\u2019ve even hit the practice field \u2014 yet alone stepped out on an NFL field \u2014 Poles appears to have added some impact players at key positions.<\/p>\n

Now that the 2025 draft is in the books, let\u2019s take a closer look at this Bears<\/a> rookie class, where we\u2019re looking at the best pick, sleeper, questionable pick and beyond.<\/p>\n

Best pick: TE Colston Loveland<\/p>\n

As a Michigan fan, I\u2019ve watched Colston Loveland dominate for three seasons and just knew he was going to be special at the next level. He\u2019s an elite athlete, a great route runner and the best receiving tight end in this draft. This selection was all Ben Johnson, and it\u2019s hard not to get excited when the Bears head coach is envisioning a Sam LaPorta role for Loveland. The fact that Loveland was able to thrive last season at Michigan when they didn\u2019t have an adequate quarterback on the roster is nothing short of remarkable. Now, Loveland gets to catch passes from Caleb Williams and play in a Ben Johnson offense. Talk about a massive upgrade in situations.<\/p>\n

See our complete list of best picks<\/a><\/p>\n

Best value pick: WR Luther Burden III<\/p>\n

Luther Burden was clearly the best player available when the Bears were picking at 39, and with both Ohio State running backs off the board, this felt like a smart move for Chicago as Ben Johnson\u2019s vision for this offense has become abundantly clear. Johnson has discussed the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and that’s exactly the role that Burden will be filling in the Bears offense as a YAC machine (although Johnson should be able to move him around). Let\u2019s be honest, Burden should\u2019ve been a first-round draft pick. Instead, the NFL let him fall to the second round and right into the waiting arms of Johnson, who might\u2019ve found his Amon-Ra St. Brown in Burden.<\/p>\n

See our complete list of best value picks<\/a><\/p>\n

Sleeper pick: RB Kyle Monagai<\/p>\n

The Bears have a number of potential sleepers in this draft class, but the one I keep coming back to is Kyle Monangai, who has the best chance to make an immediate impact given the current lack of attention at running back. D\u2019Andre Swift is currently penciled in as the lead back, and Roschon Johnson is waiting in the wings as the between-the-tackles runner. But Monanagi is the best of both worlds; he\u2019s a bruising runner who\u2019s solid in pass protection and is also a home-run hitter. It wouldn\u2019t be a surprise to see him challenge for positioning on Ben Johnson\u2019s wide-open depth chart this summer. Monangai could very well be the next Isaiah Pacheco, especially with Johnson calling the shots on offense.<\/p>\n

See our complete list of sleeper picks<\/a><\/p>\n

Questionable pick: LB Ruben Hyppolite II<\/p>\n

This was the most shocking pick in terms of reach as many had Ruben Hyppolite II pegged as an undrafted free agent, and Chicago made him a fourth-round selection. With that said, this was a pick where the Bears might\u2019ve been sniped (again) as they traded back from No. 109 to 132 after the\u00a0Giants<\/a>\u00a0drafted running back Cam Skattebo at 105. Chicago loved his speed, toughness, instincts and leadership, and he\u2019ll start as a valuable special teams contributor with the hope of him developing into an impact player to fill Jack Sanborn’s role. But the Bears are definitely banking on Hyppolite\u2019s upside here.<\/p>\n

See our complete list of questionable picks<\/a><\/p>\n

Must follow position: Running back<\/p>\n

There are still questions lingering about the Bears’ running back room after the team failed to address the position until the seventh round with Kyle Monangai. But it’s not for a lack of trying, as general manager Ryan Poles indicated the draft board didn’t fall their way sometimes — and reports indicate that includes for TreVeyon Henderson and Cam Skattebo. So could Chicago turn to free agency to add a veteran to the group featuring D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson and Monangai? There are reports the Bears are showing a serious interest in Nick Chubb, who remains a free agent but has dealt with injury struggles the past couple of years. We’ll see if anything manifests, but running back is the biggest question mark on offense.<\/p>\n

Overall assessment: B+<\/p>\n

This Bears draft lacked the sexiness of the Caleb Williams-Rome Odunze 1-2 punch in the Top 10 last year, but that doesn\u2019t mean it will lack the impact. Just like GM Ryan Poles has done all offseason, he put his trust in new head coach Ben Johnson when it came to adding personnel. Johnson\u2019s vision on offense became entirely clear with the selections of tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden with the 10th and 39th overall selections. Chicago also continued to address the trenches with offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner in the second round, and they both have the potential to develop into impact contributors. Outside of the first two rounds, the Bears landed some potential late-round gems in linebacker Ruben Hyppolite, cornerback Zah Frazier, guard Luke Newman and a seventh-round steal in running back Kyle Monangai. They missed out on a running back early \u2013\u00a0twice\u00a0with Ashton Jeanty and likely TreVeyon Henderson \u2013 but the Bears stuck to their \u201cbest player available\u201d approach and landed some studs, including Burden, (who was a projected first-round pick.<\/p>\n

See our complete list of initial overall grades<\/a><\/p>\n

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