2025 NFL Mock Draft: Chicago Bears make surprising first-round pick

Most Chicago Bears fans assume GM Ryan Poles will target an offensive lineman in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft to help his prized quarterback, Caleb Williams. But in the latest 2025 NFL mock draft from Athlon Sports, the Bears take a completely different approach. They prioritize attacking the quarterback.

Athlon’s Luke Easterling published a full first-round mock that has Chicago picking 17th — call it a hunch, but I don’t think they’ll be that low in the first round by the time December rolls around. Nevertheless, the Bears use that pick on an uber-talented edge rusher in Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr.

“Offensive line is clearly the more pressing need, but if the board falls this way, the Bears shouldn’t pass up the better value at another position of need just to reach for the next-best blocker,” Easterling wrote. “Pearce may not be playing quite to his preseason expectations as a potential No. 1 overall pick, but he’s still got top-10 talent, making him a fantastic match of need and value for the Chicago defense here.”

It wasn’t long ago that Pearce was appearing as the first overall pick in summer mock drafts, but his knack for getting after the quarterback can’t be ignored.

James Pearce Jr. of @Vol_Football last 3 games:
• 4.5 TFLs, 3 sacks
• 1 FF, 1 PBU
• 19 tackles
• 18 pressures (@PFF_College)
• 31 pressures all season tops among Power 4 edge rushers
It’s LOUD in Neyland. pic.twitter.com/QcZOeUzC6p

— Bill Martin (@Bill_Martin) October 23, 2024

Pearce has 5.5 sacks in 2024, down quite a bit from the 10 he recorded last season. But he’s beginning to heat up, with 3.5 sacks over the last three games. He could might come close to double-digit sacks by the time the year comes to a close, and if he does, the chatter about him being a top-10 pick will ramp up again.

I’m not sure I love the pick for the Chicago Bears, though. I get the appeal of pairing Montez Sweat with Pearce, but the offensive line simply cannot be ignored. At this point in the Bears’ team-building process, they have to go positional need over player value. I hate that philosophy and tend to always prefer the more talented player over filling a need, but Chicago’s in a unique spot this offseason, they have to protect Caleb Williams at all costs.

Three offensive linemen were selected after the Bears’ pick in Easterling’s mock draft, including Texas offensive tackle Cameron Williams one pick later at No. 18. I’d flip the 17th and 18th picks in this mock draft and say that’s a more likely outcome.