2025 NFL Mock Draft: Bears use 1st-round pick to protect Caleb Williams

It won’t be difficult to project who the Chicago Bears will target in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Poles will focus on offensive linemen this April, and there’s a good chance he’ll kick off the 2025 draft party with a first-round tackle.

This year’s draft should offer at least a handful of first-round-worthy linemen, and in the latest 2025 mock draft from CBS Sports, the Bears land one at No. 18 overall: Texats offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr.

“The Bears have to be prudent with constructing a quality offensive line around Caleb Williams. They make a smart decision here with the pass-pro specialist from Texas.”

Banks Jr. stands an estimated 6-foot-4 and 320 pounds and has a wealth of experience, starting every game at left tackle over the last three seasons. It’s an impressive feat for a guy who won’t turn 21 years old until the month before the 2025 NFL draft.

Banks brings the kind of appealing pass-blocking skill set that the Chicago Bears desperately need. He has the requisite athleticism to keep up with speedy edge rushers while possessing the anchor and power needed to handle the league’s established bull rushers. He’d likely project as a long-term left tackle who eventually replaces Braxton Jones. At worst, there’s a reality in which Banks could be kicked inside at guard to shore up the interior offensive line, assuming Poles remains high on Jones’ outlook as the team’s left tackle.

READ: Caleb Williams addresses concerns with accuracy through 8 games

Regardless, Banks is a plug-and-play starter in the NFL, and that’s exactly what the Chicago Bears need. There shouldn’t be a single Bears fan who’d argue with taking an offensive lineman in the first round. And if they do? Take their fan card away. The Bears have to do whatever it takes to protect Caleb Williams in 2025, and that means using their first (and maybe both second-round picks) on offensive linemen.

Yes, the state of the Bears’ offensive line is that bad. And it won’t get fixed until Poles commits to a heavy investment into all five positions.

This 2025 NFL mock draft is a great start.