The 2025 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the rumor mill is on fire about what could happen throughout the process.
Now, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is pouring more gasoline on that fire and stoking the flames because he believes there will be more trades than expected on Thursday.
Ryan Poles Believes There Will Be “A Lot More” Trades
According to Brad Biggs, a longtime beat writer for the Bears with the Chicago Tribune, Poles said, “…think this one is going to be a little wild” of the draft. Cites the depth of the draft for saying that. “There’s going to be a lot more movement than there has been in the past.”
#Bears GM Ryan Poles says "think this one is going to be a little wild" of the draft. Cites the depth of the draft for saying that. "There's going to be a lot more movement than there has been in the past."
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs)
With what’s perceived to be a less-than-stellar quarterback class, it was safe to assume there would be more teams wanting to trade down than teams wanting to trade up. At the same time, the lack of blue-chip talent compared to past years could prompt teams to move up to ensure they get a guy who they believe is a can’t-miss prospect.
In addition to Poles’ comments, ESPN’s Peter Schrager has reported that the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants are fielding calls for No. 2 and No. 3 overall, which fits Poles’ prediction for the 2025 NFL Draft.
Schrager assumes that teams are looking to trade up for Penn State Nittany Lions edge rusher Abdul Carter, Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver/cornerback Travis Hunter, or running back Ashton Jeanty.
“…There have been teams making calls and those teams are not immediately slamming down the phone,” Schrager said.
PFSN’s Latest Mock Draft Features No Trades
In PFSN’s latest first-round mock draft by Jacob Infante, there were no trades, including the Browns, Giants, or Poles’ Bears. Infante slotted Hunter to the Browns at No. 2 and Carter to the Giants at No. 3. He has the Bears selecting running back Omarion Hampton at No. 10 overall after Jeanty went to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 6.
“The Chicago Bears aggressively addressed their offensive line early in the offseason, and they added some talent up front for their defensive line. In this NFL Mock Draft, they give new head coach Ben Johnson a potential superstar running back like he had in Detroit.
“Omarion Hampton is a speedy, physical back who excels at finding open lanes between the tackles. He has bell-cow potential and could prove to be a consistent 1,000-yard runner at the next level, which would be a welcome addition to the Bears’ offense.”
