Here’s where the Bears are projected to pick in the 2025 NFL Draft

The 2024 NFL Draft was a franchise-altering one for the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan Poles selected quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick he acquired from the Carolina Panthers in last year’s trade-down involving Bryce Young. With their own pick at No. 9, Poles drafted wide receiver Rome Odunze.

Those two selections promise to positively alter the Bears’ outlook in 2024 and beyond. ESPN recently dropped their projections for the 2025 NFL Draft order. ESPN’s Jordan Reid also recently pointed out that the Bears rank 19th in their latest Football Power Index (FPI) Rankings.

Latest ESPN Football Power Index Rankings.

Way-too-early predicted top 5 draft order for 2025 (as of today):

1. Panthers
2. Patriots
3. Broncos
4. Giants
5. Commanders pic.twitter.com/HT2fwiUWqj

— Jordan Reid (@Jordan_Reid) June 2, 2024

ESPN used FPI to project the draft order by simulating the upcoming season 10,000 times. Game probabilities are based largely on the model’s ratings for individual teams in addition to game locations (home versus away). The order is based on the records the model believes the teams will have after 17 games and each team’s average draft position in the simulations.

The Bears captured the No. 17 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft after 10,000 simulations. Chicago’s average draft position was 16.2. FPI estimates the Bears possess just a 27.4% chance to capture a top-10 selection, which would be music to the ears of Bears fans after the franchise has picked 11th or earlier with eight consecutive first-round selections (2017 onward, no pick in 2020/2021).

The Jacksonville Jaguars initially owned the No. 17 overall selection in 2024 NFL Draft after compiling a 9-8 record in 2023. The Jaguars finished the season 9-8 and missed the playoffs by one game after a regular-season-finale loss to the Tennessee Titans. Let’s hope the Bears’ 2024 fate is better.

Want an ad-free experience on Bears Talk? Become a Premium subscriber today! You can sign up below or by clicking this link.