The Chicago Bears are on the clock. Wait a minute, that's not true. That was last year, when the Bears had the number one pick and used it to select Heisman-winning USC quarterback Caleb Williams. This year, the Bears pick 10th in the first round, then have two more selections in the second at 39 and 41.
The hope in Chicago is that this is the last time in a long time that the team will be picking in the top 10. Ben Johnson is the team's new head coach, and every indication is that he's ready to usher in a new era away from the disappointment and frustration that defined Matt Eberflus' tenure.
Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles have made a concerted effort to bring in veteran talent this offseason. They traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, signed center Drew Dalman and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett from the Falcons, and signed Dayo Odeyingbo to supplement their pass rush.
There's also plenty of young skilled players that are still on their rookie contracts, including Caleb, Rome Odunze, Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter and others. This draft though, and the next few in fact, will be vital in keeping that pipeline of talent flowing.
Poles hasn't been shy about using draft picks to make trades. He sent a future fourth-rounder to the Chiefs for Thuney and a sixth-rounder for Jackson this offseason, and in 2023 he sent a second to the Commanders for Montez Sweat. Those are just a few to start.
Whether Poles uses them to trade for veteran talent or to select the next young impact player, picks are power, and the more you have, the better off you are. Let's look today at a full list of Chicago's draft picks for the next three years.
2025
- First round, 10th overall
- Second round, 39th overall
- Second round, 41st overall
- Third round, 72nd overall
- Fifth round, 148th overall
- Seventh round, 233rd overall
- Seventh round, 240th overall
As we can see above, the Bears are missing their fourth- and sixth-round pick, but they have an extra second and seventh. Here's where they all came from or went.
The 39th overall pick is the final piece of the deal that sent the 2023 first overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for their 2024 first-rounder (which ended up becoming Caleb Williams), wide receiver DJ Moore and a 2024 second-rounder (which was packaged with a fifth to move up and draft Gervon Dexter).
The Bears sent this year's fourth-rounder to the Bills last year for Buffalo's 2024 fifth-rounder so that they could draft edge rusher Austin Booker. That pick originally belonged to the Bears, but was sent to Buffalo initially for interior offensive lineman Ryan Bates.
This year's sixth-rounder was sent to the Seahawks just before last season for defensive end Darrell Taylor. The Bears traded for two sixth-rounders, but have since shipped both of those away, as well. One came from the Dolphins in the infamous 2023 Chase Claypool trade, then was sent to the Browns for defensive tackle Chris Williams and a seventh-rounder. The other was compensation from the Steelers for Justin Fields, which was then traded to the Rams last month for Jonah Jackson.
Neither of the Bears' seventh-round selections are their own. The 233rd pick came from the Bengals for running back Khalil Herbert, while the 240th came from the Browns in the Chris Williams deal. That pick originally belonged to the Vikings but was part of their 2023 trade for Za'Darius Smith.
The Bears' own seventh-rounder was part of the Claypool package.
2026
- First round
- Second round
- Third round
- Fifth round
- Sixth round
- Seventh round
Not much to report here just yet, although knowing Poles, this list is likely to change in a few weeks. As of now, the only difference with Chicago's original allotment of picks is that the Chiefs own Chicago's 2026 fourth-rounder from the Joe Thuney trade.
As for the exact slot of each pick, that won't be determined until the 2025-26 season plays out.
2027
- First round
- Second round
- Third round
- Fourth round
- Fifth round
- Sixth round
- Seventh round
Poles hasn't yet dipped into 2027's picks, but give him time. This list will likely look very different a year from now as he works his magic.