The Athletic redrafted the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and this exercise highlights the type of talent the Chicago Bears selected last year.
Ryan Poles came away from the 2025 NFL Draft with some immediate contributors on his football team.
Tight end Colston Loveland, wide receiver Luther Burden III and running back Kyle Monangai played a huge part in the Chicago Bears' offense. Ozzy Trapilo helped solidify the left tackle position during the back half of the season.
Poles provided head coach Ben Johnson with the correct players, and the coaching staff tapped into each individual's skill sets to bring out consistent flashes throughout the 2025 season.
In just eight days, Poles and the rest of the general managers in the NFL will get ready to select their players of the future to strengthen each team's respective rosters. Before officially moving on to the 2026 NFL Draft, The Athletic revisited last year’s class and redrafted the first round.
This exercise illustrates how well Poles drafted in 2025. In the Athletic's redraft, the Bears had three players who were selected in the first round.
Loveland went 10th overall to the Bears in the original draft, and the Bear’ tight end went in the exact same spot in the redraft.
The Athletic's Explanation: “This was my favorite pick of Round 1 last spring, and it remains so today. An absolutely perfect fit for Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, Loveland is built for the modern game. He is among the best tight ends we’ve scouted over the last five years.”
Loveland started the season off slow, but became a consistent contributor for the offense down the stretch. His breakout game came in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, when he caught six passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns.
Trapilo is the next Bears player to join Loveland in the first round. The Athletic's redraft has the Baltimore Ravens selecting the offensive tackle with the 27th overall pick. Originally the Ravens drafted safety Malaki Starks, but Baltimore upgraded its offense instead. Chicago selected Trapilo with the 56th overall pick in the second round.
The Bears' offensive tackle started seven games for the Bears, including the playoff game against the Packers. Trapilo allowed three sacks and 22 quarterback pressures in his rookie year.
The Athletic's Explanation: “Trapilo started his rookie year as a reserve before eventually taking over at left tackle for Chicago in Week 12. His seven starts down the stretch, including in a wild-card win over Green Bay, were outstanding. He’s going to miss a bunch of time in 2026 as he rehabs a patellar tendon injury, but I’m eager to see his return.”
With the Buffalo Bills on the clock with the No. 30 overall pick, the team selected Burden. The Chicago Bears selected the former Missouri wide receiver with the No. 39 pick in the second round.
The Athletic's Explanation: “Getting Burden in the second round was a great value pick by the Bears, who should be in position to get even more out of him now that DJ Moore (ironically enough for our redraft purposes) is in Buffalo.”
The 6-foot, 210-pound receiver finished his rookie year with 47 receptions for 652 yards and two touchdowns. He led the Bears in explosive receptions last season. Burden thought he would be a first-round draft pick, and this redraft confirms the belief he had in himself.
Poles and the rest of the Bears’ staff identified some premium talent in the 2025 NFL Draft, and for this team to continue climbing the NFL ranks to one day compete for a Super Bowl, Chicago's staff will have to select the right players in the upcoming draft.