The NFL Draft is just over three weeks away, and the Chicago Bears are one of the most intriguing teams that has a pick in the first round. The Bears are in the midst of a massive franchise glow-up that has seen them nab their new head coach, completely revamp the offensive line, and plug other gaps up and down the roster. The draft is the final step in completing a dream offseason.
General manager Ryan Poles' aggressive approach has given the Bears a bounty of options with the 10th pick, but a lot will depend on what happens before that. Chicago has been credibly linked to multiple players who could conceivably help them. The only problem is that other teams are interested in them, too. Barring a trade-up, Poles will be at the mercy of which way the cards fall.
There are many directions Poles can go with this pick. Does he try to draft a project with big upside that could be developed into a superstar? Does he take a player that's ready to contribute now? Or can he find the best of both worlds and find someone that's pro-ready but still has untapped potential and room to grow?
Outside of the obvious names, few players on the Bears' depth chart should feel safe right now. There's a lot of talent in this draft, and your NFL livelihood could only be as meaningful as which name is on the card that Roger Goodell reads.
With that in mind, we thought we'd look today at which rookies could take over immediately if the Bears drafted them. That could mean a player taken with the 10th pick, or even someone later on. Are there any rookies that could be starting in Week 1?
Ashton Jeanty or Omarion Hampton at running back
It feels like we're dumping on D'Andre Swift this offseason, but the fact remains that all the advanced metrics say that he was among the worst starting running backs in the league last year. The eye test didn't do him any favors, either. Although he busted off a few big plays, he missed even more.
This is a running back-rich draft, whether the Bears take a ball-carrier at No. 10 or wait until the 39th or 41st picks. Ashton Jeanty was a Heisman finalist last year after putting up one of the best seasons by a college running back we've ever seen. His elusiveness and home run-hitting ability would relegate Swift to the bench, or even to another team, right away.
The same could be true for Hampton, who has emerged as the No. 2 running back in this class. Once thought to be a second-round pick, the UNC product has made his way into the first round of a lot of mock drafts lately, and for good reason. He's big, strong, and able to finish runs, but he also excels at finding even the smallest hole and turning a short gain into a big one.
Teams tend not to draft running backs very highly anymore, but if they do, they don't leave them on the bench to learn behind the incumbent. If either Jeanty or Hampton comes to Halas Hall, expect Swift's days to be numbered.
Armand Membou or Will Campbell at left tackle
The Bears completely upgraded their interior line this year by trading for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, then signing Drew Dalman in free agency. Is that all the attention that's going to be paid to the offensive line, though? Poles, a former offensive lineman himself, has certainly heard grumblings within the fanbase for the way he's made the O-line a secondary priority in years past, and while he's done amazing work to improve it this offseason, there's still more that can be done.
The Bears will almost certainly use a later pick or two to add depth up front, but they might even opt to find a new starting left tackle to upgrade from Braxton Jones with their first pick. Missouri's Armand Membou has gotten raves for his athleticism and power, while LSU's Will Campbell, despite consternation about his supposedly short arms, is someone that jumps off the tape for always locking down whoever is in front of him.
Either SEC tackle, if drafted, could usurp Jones as Caleb Williams' blindside protector. Whether that means they'd do it in camp or this could be a mid-season replacement kind of deal is yet to be determined, but given the fact that Jones was just a fifth-round pick and has missed 11 games in the last two years due to injury, this draft scenario has a good chance of happening.
Tyler Warren at tight end
Bears fans are coming around to the fact that if Jeanty and the two tackles are off the board, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren could be the pick. Even if they're not, Warren's diverse skill set as a receiver and a blocker could make him the ideal choice to insert into Ben Johnson's offense.
We all saw what Johnson was able to do with Sam LaPorta in Detroit, and Warren has much the same ability. He could pair with Cole Kmet to form a dynamic 1-2 combo, but given Kmet's long stretches of minimal production the last couple years (something I would attribute to coaching failures and not Kmet's ability, but others may disagree), Warren could be the clear No. 1 from the outset.
There are other positions the Bears could draft, but it's tough to see any rookie stealing a starting job as a defensive end or defensive back. Even the top pass rushers that could be available, like Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart, James Pearce Jr. or Mike Green, will probably start their pro careers in a situational role and not as an every-down player, especially given the arrival in free agency of Dayo Odeyingbo to play opposite Montez Sweat.