Andrew Buller-Russ
Leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears were mentioned as one of the most frequent landing spots for superstar Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty. But they never got that chance once Jeanty was selected sixth overall by the Las Vegas Raiders.
That left the Bears to select star Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick instead. Yet, there’s some belief that the Bears tried to make an aggressive move to trade up in the second round for another top running back prospect.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Bears may have been targeting a trade up to select Ohio State star running back TreVeyon Henderson at the top of the second round. Amazingly, the Bears waited all the way until the seventh round before adding some competition in the RB room.
“Some inside the league believe the Bears tried to make an early Day 2 move, possibly to move up four spots to Tennessee’s selection at No. 35. Knowing Chicago’s legwork on running backs, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson would have made a lot of sense in that regard. While Chicago has been linked to free agent running backs, typically teams like to first see what their rookies can do in May and June, with live on-field reps — a great chance for seventh-round back Kyle Monangai, who has an intriguing skill set.”
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Chicago Bears
Others have suggested the Bears could have an interest in signing four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb, yet first-year head coach Ben Johnson may prefer to see what type of talent Chicago already has on hand.
For now, D’Andre Swift is set to repeat as the Bears’ starting running back with Roschon Johnson expected to return to a backup role. Others competing for carries include the rookie seventh-round pick Monangai, along with veteran Travis Homer and 2024 undrafted free agent Ian Wheeler.
Related: Top 2025 NFL Rookie of the Year candidates: Ashton Jeanty and Abdul Carter start as ROTY favorites
