Did Ben Johnson Nail His First Draft with the Bears?
The Chicago Bears have finished their 2025 draft class and thus have officially completed Ben Johnson’s first NFL Draft as a head coach. The former Lions offensive coordinator came into the draft with high expectations from Bears fans, who expected multiple holes in their roster to be filled both offensively and defensively. Johnson would work alongside Bears general manager Ryan Poles, who would be working on his fourth draft class as the Chicago Bears general manager. Johnson and Poles would have more unexpected picks throughout the three days, starting off with their first selection at number 10.
Chicago would select Michigan tight end Colston Loveland in the first round, a shocker to many Bears fans. Loveland comes in after three seasons in Ann Arbor, where he totaled 1,466 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. The first round pick would be compared most notably to Lions tight end Sam LaPorta by many NFL experts around the league, who was an excellent fit in Johnson’s offense in Detroit. This would become a pattern throughout the rest of the draft for Chicago, matching Johnson’s offensive scheme from his years with the Lions.
The Bears’ next pick would come in the second round, with the 39th overall pick. Missouri wide receiver Luther Burden III was a projected first-round pick who would fall into the Bears’ hands in round two. The First-Team All-SEC receiver fills Chicago’s need for a slot receiver and a speedy weapon for quarterback Caleb Williams. Burden totaled 2,263 yards and 21 touchdowns in his three seasons with Mizzou. The Bears would continue the round with two more selections, focusing on their lines on both sides of the ball. They selected Boston College offensive lineman Ozzy Trapilo and Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner, both expected to work their way up the depth chart this season. The round two selections would all fill needs for Chicago, and their offensive selections would once again seem to fit Johnson’s offensive scheme.
Chicago wouldn’t select again until the fourth round, where they would take Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II. The former Terrapin would total 236 tackles over five seasons with Maryland, where he would lead his defense in tackles last season with 66. The Bears most recently lost linebacker Jack Sanborn in the offseason, and now have a spot open for Hyppolite to compete for. In round five, the Bears would select UTSA defensive back Zah Frazier. He would secure First-Team All-American Athletic Conference honors in 2024, after he led the AAC with six interceptions. After three straight defensive selections, Johnson would focus back on offense in the next two rounds.
Michigan State offensive lineman Luke Newman would be the Bears’ 195th overall pick, and the sole Spartan selected in this year's draft. Newman would have an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten Conference recognition last season, proving himself as a more than capable backup for the Bears’ offensive line. In round seven, Chicago would make its final selection with Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai. Many fans in the Windy City were expecting a much earlier selection at running back, in a trade up for now Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty. While Monangai may not have been as highly touted as Jeanty, he rushed for 1,279 yards last season, which was the second-most by any player in the Big Ten. The draft would come to a close for Chicago, and they will now look ahead to the 2025 season. Johnson now has his pieces to the puzzle, and will look to fit them where they go this upcoming training camp.
