Bears NFL Draft Big Board: What happens if Ashton Jeanty, Will Campbell are gone?

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While seated in a conference room at The Breakers hotel in Palm Beach, Fla., with a small group of reporters earlier this month, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles provided a sneak preview of what’s to come in the NFL Draft.

With the No. 10 pick, the Bears appear to be right on the line where the elite “blue” players break from the other first-rounders.

“Just the way it is, the top ‘blues,’ I think that’s condensed pretty small early in (Round 1), and then there’s a wide range of really good starter-level of players that are going to range from probably single digits all the way into 50, 60, 70,” Poles said. “(It’s) really trying to pair where the depth is and where you can get certain guys. … The collection of those guys, I think, (is) going to be important in terms of moving the needle for us.”

If you think Poles sounded open to trading back if the right “blue” players aren’t available for the Bears, that’s one way to interpret his message. And you probably wouldn’t be wrong, given his contention about how deep this draft is with “good starter-level” players on Day 2.

With that in mind, here’s my final big board for the Bears, looking at all three days of the draft. All rankings are from Dane Brugler in “The Beast.”

Day 1 | Pick 10

The wish list

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State | Ranking: 3
Will Campbell, OL, LSU | Ranking: 6

At this point, plenty has been written and said about Jeanty and Campbell. They are two of the “blue” players in this draft. The Bears would surely be happy to take one of them with the 10th selection should one fall to them.

Campbell’s less-than-ideal arm length might shift his grade for some teams, but it won’t change his standing as a top-10 pick in this year’s draft. He’s too good at doing everything else required to play left tackle, and too many teams before the Bears in the draft need help up front this year, starting with the New England Patriots at No. 4.

Jeanty is more than a running back. He’s an elite weapon — one the Bears should take at No. 10 if he’s available. But it doesn’t seem likely with the Las Vegas Raiders sitting at No. 6.

Went back and watched Ashton Jeanty’s targets from 2023 in which caught 43 passes for 569 yards

Smooth hands catcher that quickly turns to a runner. Absolute menace in open space obviously.

Catches the ball with one hand here and plows into the end zone pic.twitter.com/Uev55hw7gn

— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) April 1, 2025

Eight more players to watch

Tyler Warren, TE, Penn State | Ranking: 8

Brugler: “A high-efficiency pass catcher, Warren moves with light feet, fluid body movements and natural balance, all of which help him instantly transition from receiver to runner and become a threat with the ball in his hands.”

Shemar Stewart, DE, Texas A&M | Ranking: 9

Brugler: “The No. 1 area in which he needs to improve is as a finisher. He has the athleticism to get to the ball but has no business missing as many tackles as he does, especially given his power and movements.”

Mike Green, DE, Marshall | Ranking: 10

Brugler: “As long as his character checks out, he is one of the top pass-rush prospects in the draft class with the disruptive ability to be an NFL starter.”

Mykel Williams, DE, Georgia | Ranking: 21

Brugler: “The individual traits (length, strength, explosiveness), promising toughness and football character are reasons to bet on his upside. Similar in ways to Jason Pierre-Paul, he projects as an NFL starter on the edge.”

Coltson Loveland, TE, Michigan | Ranking: 11

Brugler: “His tools and upside are reminiscent of Zach Ertz.”

Derrick Harmon, DT, Oregon | Ranking: 16

Brugler: “A player who can win in different ways, Harmon forces blockers to attack air with his lateral explosiveness or uses strong, crafty hands to swat away the reach of blockers as he bursts through gaps to close on the ball carrier.”

Josh Conerly Jr., OT, Oregon | Ranking: 23

Brugler: “A quick, fluid mover, Conerly has the range to reach his landmarks laterally in pass protection and on the move, at the second level and in the run game.”

Kelvin Banks, OL, Texas | Ranking: 26

Brugler: “Despite not moving to the offensive line until high school, he looks like he has been playing there his entire life — it wasn’t a coincidence the Longhorns’ rise mirrored Banks’ tenure (Texas’ wins increased each of his three seasons in the program).”

Quick thoughts 

• Don’t forget what happened two years ago with the Bears’ selection of right tackle Darnell Wright. He was considered a late first-round pick by most analysts. Brugler had him as his No. 24 player in the draft. But Wright plays tackle — an all-important premium position. It’s why Conerly and Banks are included in this list.

While Banks is considered a guard prospect by some, Conerly is locked in at tackle. He’s also a true left tackle, while Missouri’s Armand Membou — a likely top-10 pick — played only on the right side in college. Conerly also doesn’t have the health concerns that Ohio State left tackle Josh Simmons has after he tore the patellar tendon in his knee.

In 2023, Wright’s performance against Will Anderson, the best pass rusher in that draft class, was viewed as a positive. Similar things can be written about Conerly this year after he shut down Penn State’s Abdul Carter.

Every one-on-one pass rep between Josh Conerly Jr. (#76) and Abdul Carter (#11)

Speed vs. Speed pic.twitter.com/4FgENMfKnz

— Nate Tice (@Nate_Tice) April 8, 2025

• It’s a deep year for defensive linemen. That’s inside and outside. The Bears have needs up front on defense, but they must weigh the strengths and weaknesses of the draft, too. It’s also a deep class for tight ends. The depth on the offensive line just isn’t the same.

Is the best strategy passing on Warren, Stewart or Williams at No. 10 in favor of Conerly or Banks and then targeting a pass rusher or a tight end in the second round?

Day 2 | Picks 39, 41 and 72

20 players to watch

Mason Taylor, TE, LSU | Ranking: 33
Jaylin Noel, WR, Iowa State | Ranking: 42
JT Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State | Ranking: 43
Kaleb Johnson, RB, Iowa | Ranking: 44
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State | Ranking: 46
Landon Jackson, DE, Arkansas | Ranking: 47
Jordan Burch, DE, Oregon | Ranking: 52
Tate Ratledge, G, Georgia | Ranking: 53
Xavier Watts, S, Notre Dame | Ranking: 54
Jonah Savaiinaea, G, Arizona | Ranking: 55
Nic Scourton, DE, Texas A&M | Ranking: 59
Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State | Ranking: 60
Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss | Ranking: 65
Joshua Farmer, DT, Florida State | Ranking: 76
Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas | Ranking: 88
Kyle Williams, WR, Washington State | Ranking: 92
Anthony Belton, OT, NC State | Ranking: 94
Bradyn Swinson, DE, LSU | Ranking: 100
Sai’vion Jones, DE, LSU
Cam Skattebo, RB Arizona State

Quick thoughts

• The wish list in the second round would include Simmons, North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton, Texas defensive back Jahdae Barron, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen and North Dakota offensive lineman Grey Zabel. How far Simmons falls because of his knee injury will be one of the early storylines of the draft.

• At the NFL’s annual meeting, Bears coach Ben Johnson said he wanted different skill sets for his skill positions: running backs, receivers and tight ends.

“To me, that’s how you want to construct a roster from all your skill positions. You don’t want five 6-4 guys necessarily in the receiver room,” he said. “You want more of a basketball team where you’ve got the point guard, you’ve got the power forward — you have a wealth of different skill sets that you can look to call upon wherever you’re at in the field and whatever situation arises.”

Taylor, the son of Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor, is a different tight end than Cole Kmet. Taylor can be the Bears’ move tight end, while Kmet stays in line. Judkins and Skattebo also could fill the David Montgomery-like role in Johnson’s offense with D’Andre Swift already in the running backs room.

• The Bears don’t have a slot receiver on their roster. “That’s to be determined,” Johnson said. “It’s a little bit different right now. Can DJ (Moore) play inside? I think he can. Can Rome (Odunze) play inside? I think he can. Both of those guys showed those traits last year on tape. To what degree, I don’t know yet. We have to hit the grass and see what they’re capable of and what they do well. I feel really good about the two guys we brought in in free agency and what they bring to the table.”

Those two players are Devin Duvernay and Olamide Zaccheaus.

Or the Bears could draft their version of Amon-Ra St. Brown for Johnson’s offense. The conversation starts with Noel, whom Brugler described as being “very quarterback-friendly because of the confidence he has in his hands and his athletic versatility, which makes him tough to cover.” Bond also played in the slot for Texas, though not close to the same amount as Noel did for Iowa State.

Jaylin Noel is a WR prospect in the 2025 draft class. He scored a 9.75 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 96 out of 3815 WR from 1987 to 2025.https://t.co/Srf1HFprE2 pic.twitter.com/jmzkIqSCtA

— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 12, 2025

• At 6 foot 5 and 283 pounds, LSU’s Jones should be on the Bears’ big board as a fit in coordinator Dennis Allen’s defense. Here’s what Brugler wrote: “Overall, Jones needs continued schooling with his hands and pad level, but he plays long, strong and persistent as a downhill force player against both pass and run. He hasn’t yet reached his football ceiling and has the tools to become a solid depth piece on an NFL defensive line.”

Day 3 | Picks 158, 233, 240

20 players to watch

Offense

Cameron Williams, OT, Texas
Jaylin Lane, WR, Virginia Tech
Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
Devin Neal, RB, Kansas
Brashard Smith, RB, SMU
Dylan Fairchild, G, Georgia
Dontae Fleming, WR, Tulane
Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa
Jonah Monheim, OL, USC
Addison West, OL, Western Michigan
Jalin Conyers, TE, Texas Tech

Defense

Andrew Mukuba, S, Texas
Nick Martin, LB, Oklahoma State
Omarr Norman-Lott, DT, Tennessee
Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DE, Georgia
Zah Frazier, CB, Texas San Antonio
Ruben Hyppolite, LB, Maryland
Malachi Moore, S, Alabama
Hunter Wohler, S, Wisconsin
Justin Walley, CB, Minnesota

(Photo of Mykel Williams: Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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