On draft day, misinformation runs rampant among NFL media circles. We have all fallen victim to this in one form or another, and it's important to take every report – however certain it may sound in the moment – with a grain of salt. The first such rumor this Thursday came courtesy of a so-called Chicago Bears insider, who leaked that the team was interested in trading up for Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty.
The idea of the Bears being interested in Jeanty isn't news. In fact, it should be rather obvious, and has been reported by ESPN. Chicago would love to add Jeanty to their backfield and create a one-two punch with D'Andre Swift.
Ben Devine, a self-appointed Bears reporter on X, says the Bears have "a trade agreement in place" early in the first round. I don't necessarily know what that means, but it's a step further than actual insiders have been willing to go in regards to Chicago.
Should Bears fans believe the most recent NFL Draft trade rumor?
As I mentioned above, any leak on draft day should be taken with a grain of salt. Personally, I do not believe Ben Devine has a well-placed source other established insiders like Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport wouldn't. That makes no sense. Officially, we will know whether Devine was right on Thursday night.
To his credit, Devine does not mention a specific player the Bears want to move up for, nor does he state the team Ryan Poles is supposedly in talks with. This gives him a greater chance at being right when all is said and done.
How could the Bears pull off a heist for Ashton Jeanty in the NFL Draft?
The Bears would have to trade up six picks to select Jeanty, one would think. The Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly interested in the Boise State running back at No. 5. Assuming that intel is true, the only way the Bears can assure they land Jeanty is to trade up with the New England Patriots at No. 4. The good news for Chicago is that the two players the Patriots are most interested in – Travis Hunter and Abdul Carter – are likely to be off the board before they select. Thus, a trade back makes far more sense to the Pats.
The dream scenario for Chicago would be to avoid giving up multiple first-round picks, which is where the Patriots asking price would likely start. However, the Bears have two second-round selections in this year's draft. If they trade the latter of those – which is still relatively early in the second round – to New England, they should be able to get by. Adding in a Day 2 pick in 2026 along with an early Day 3 selection is icing on the cake.
Jeanty would fit in well with the Bears offensive system. Johnson is one of the best offensive coaches in the NFL. The possibilities are endless.