The Chicago Bears entered this weeks NFL Draft with a lot to prove. It was new head coach Ben Johnson’s first time leading his coaching staff into a war room, while general manager Ryan Poles’ faces criticism for leading the Bears to a 15-36 record since taking over the job.
The consensus from Analysts around the league is that the duo stepped up to the plate and hit it out of the park.
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly and CBS Sports’ Chris Trepasso both assessed a near perfect A- for Chicago’s efforts. While USA Today’s Nate Davis was not as impressed, giving them the seventh lowest grade in the league with a B-. Overall, based on the grades from seven different analysts, the Bears finished the 2025 NFL Draft with a GPA of 3.3.
Reasoning Behind Highest Grades Given
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly was extremely high on Ben Johnson’s offensive selections. He likens the Colston Loveland choice to BJ’s new Sam Laporta. He even goes as far to say that, “if you squint”, Luther Burden’s strength and willingness to go over the middle makes him Amon-Ra St Brown-like.
“Chicago added depth and developmental upside with the selection of Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo, while their first defensive pick, Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner, brings some tenacity and power to the defensive front,” summarized Kelly. “Overall, I like that Chicago made Williams’s development a focus—and both Loveland and Burden should be on the field very early on.”
Chris Trepasso complimented the duo making the decisions, writing positive reviews of each of the teams first four draft picks.
“General manager Ryan Poles appears to be in lock-step with new head coach Ben Johnson..,” wrote Trepasso. “The Hyppolite pick felt forced. The Frazier selection made up for it, because he has elite-level upside as an outside, playmaking cornerback. Poles understood the assignment — foster an even better environment for Caleb Williams, keep the offensive line deep and add pieces to the defense. Smart draft.”
What The Critics Had To Say
Nate Davis assessed the lowest grade I came across, a B- for the team that finished 5-12 last season. His main gripe was with the selection to pick Colston Loveland over Penn States Tyler Warren.
“GM Ryan Poles, who’s known for his aggressive maneuvers, continues to build out the support system for second-year QB Caleb Williams. But did Poles hit the optimal notes?” asks Davis. “Chicago missed out on what appeared to be this draft’s top running back prospects. Poles did wind up with three stabs in Round 2, and DT Shemar Turner might have been the best of the trio (OT Ozzy Trapilo being the other).”
Hard to believe a B was the second lowest grade I could find, but that was the case and it belongs to the Pro Football Network. Their analysis was fond on the players and positions drafted, but questions whether they truly optimized all of their selections.
“Shemar Turner and Zah Frazier were good value picks in Rounds 2 and 5, respectively. The Turner selection further reinforces the Bears’ plan to solidify the interior of the defensive line,” the website wrote. “Frazier doesn’t come from a Power 5 program, but the cornerback checks a lot of the boxes that teams covet – size, speed, ball production, and scheme versatility. He was easily their best Day 3 pick, as the others come with question marks about their potential at the next level. All in all, the Bears got better in certain spots, but they didn’t leave the back end of the draft with a ton of value.”