Alabama’s Tyler Booker.

“I think Booker is one of the safest picks in the draft,” Jeremiah wrote. “He will help firm up the interior offensive line for Caleb Williams.”

The initial reaction to Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft is probably a bit of shock. Interior offensive linemen usually don’t get selected in first 10 picks unless they’re pretty darn special.

If Jeremiah likes Booker enough to make him the 10th overall pick in his first 2025 mock draft? Then it’s time to consider him a pretty special talent.

Remember: For as much work that Daniel Jeremiah does on his own, he also has a wealth of contacts inside the NFL. He’s undoubtedly surveying his scouting buddies and a few general managers before publishing his mock draft, and if he has Booker in the first 10 picks, then decision-makers in front offices around the league agree.

The Chicago Bears will begin NFL free agency with a huge need at guard and center. All three starting positions are up for grabs, so landing a prospect like Booker in the 2025 NFL Draft would be a big step forward.

But is Jeremiah’s valuation of Booker a bit rich right not?

The Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn, a widely recognized offensive line expert in NFL draft media, slapped a second-round grade on the Crimson Tide standout.

“Overall, Booker is a powerfully built guard with commanding play strength, power, and a tone-setting demeanor who can get manipulated out of position when isolated against high-end rushers but will solidify the pocket against the bull-rush and dish out body blows as a finisher,” Thorn write in his scouting report.

Consensus 2025 NFL Draft big boards tend to lean more towards Thorn’s assessment, too. Booker ranks as the 26th overall prospect in this year’s draft class.

But, here’s the thing: this year’s NFL Draft isn’t overflowing with top-end talent. A prospect like Tyler Booker could very easily rank as a top-10 player for one team while having a Day-2 grade for another. The opinions will vary, as they do every year. But in 2025, the gap between each team’s grade will be much wider.

Overall, I’m fine with Jeremiah’s decision to rock the boat in his first mock draft. If history tells us anything, it’s that Jeremiah’s final mock draft will look very different. Perhaps, he used this first version to get the conversation around Booker revved up. And that’s fine.

However, general manager Ryan Poles has been very clear about his draft philosophy. He prefers using his first-round pick on premium positions that are hard to find. And while finding a quality starting guard has proven to be a challenge for the Bears, it’s much more difficult to secure high-end offensive tackle play.

That’s why Daniel Jeremiah’s mock draft is a bit disapointing, even if Tyler Booker would be a great addition to the Bears’ starting lineup.

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