Fans and local media have their theories about what the Chicago Bears are planning for the upcoming draft. GM Ryan Poles has never tried to do anything overly creative in the 1st round. All three of his picks were at relatively expected positions. He grabbed a tackle in 2023 with Darnell Wright, then a quarterback and wide receiver last year. All were at positions of clear need. Will that trend hold in 2025? Nobody can say with the arrival of a new coaching staff.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune decided to contact various NFL executives to get their assessments. All of them seem to agree on one overarching reality: Ben Johnson will want to run the football. For that, the Bears will need significant upgrades to their offensive line. It would surprise them if Chicago went any other direction in the 1st round.

While other areas may need help, the blocking up front is priority #1.

“It’s got to be the O-line,” said a player personnel director for another team. “It has to start there. They’ve got the two wide receivers. They have got to get the run game going. They’re going to draft a running back to complement D’Andre Swift and they’ve got to fix the O-line. They’ve got to run the hell out of the ball, play action, and then get into Ben Johnson’s stuff.”

“They’ve got to get the run game going,” a GM said. “That was Detroit’s secret sauce. They had (David) Montgomery and (Jahmyr) Gibbs and the run game was really good. Ben does a really nice job with protections and getting them answers. It will be a vast improvement.”

“If they’re going to achieve Ben’s vision, how that offense was in Detroit, they’ve got to add a physical aspect and component that has been missing in Chicago,” a pro personnel director said. “You’re asking about the quarterback, but the Bears didn’t have an identity and they need to fix that O-line if they want to make anything work.”

The Chicago Bears appear to have some great options.

As is often the case, it depends on whether they will be available. Following the scouting combine this past week, the general consensus is that two offensive linemen have cemented their places as probable top-10 picks. One is LSU tackle Will Campbell, and the other is Missouri tackle Armand Membou. Both had excellent combine performances, which only enhances the great game tape they’ve put up over the past two years. Most experts see them as possible tackles who, at worst, can shift inside to become Pro Bowl-caliber guards.

The problem for the Chicago Bears is that other teams in the top 10 also need offensive line help. New England (#4), Jacksonville (#5), and New Orleans (#9) stand out as the biggest possibilities. If Campbell and Membou are gone by the time Chicago goes on the clock at #10, it presents a significant dilemma for Poles. Does he gamble on one of the other tackles like Kelvin Banks of Texas or Josh Simmons of Ohio State? Does he opt for one of the pure guards like Tyler Booker or Donovan Jackson despite both not being considered top 10 prospects? Or does he pivot to another position, such as defensive line or even running back?

Based on the buzz about Chicago prepping a strong push to sign offensive line help in free agency, it appears they are preparing for that exact scenario.