It’s been four years since general manager Ryan Poles took over the franchise and ripped the band-aid off of one of the more expensive and older rosters in the league. Since that point, his primary focus has been on adding young talent through the draft. Despite not having a first-round pick in 2022, Poles has made four first-round selections over the past three years. All of which were in the Top 10.
Following a failed three-year stint with former head coach Matt Eberflus, former Detroit Lions offensive
coordinator Ben Johnson is taking over a roster that is ripe with young talent. Even so, it’s hard to argue that any of their top picks have truly reached their potential. If the Chicago Bears hope to be considered a Super Bowl contender, the development of those early-round picks is key.
We’ll take a deeper dive into five of the team’s top picks over the last few years that need to take the next step. Most of these players are first-round selections, but we’ll also focus on a second-round pick that could take a big step in Year 3.
1. QB Caleb Williams (2024 1st Round Pick)
There’s not a single more important player on the Bears roster than their second-year starting quarterback. In 2024, Chicago chose to trade Justin Fields and zero in on Williams early in the draft process. From a talent standpoint, there’s plenty that meets the eye that leads many to believe he’s one of the league’s most talented quarterbacks. Mentally is where he needs to experience the most progress.
Williams’ rookie year was a rollercoaster, but the same could be said for the entire organization. Despite all the obvious signs pointing to Eberflus not being the guy to lead this franchise on the field, the Bears allowed him to hire another offensive coordinator. After 2024, it was clear that the entire experiment was a failure. Shane Waldron was fired just after Halloween, and Eberflus followed three weeks later. That left Williams in a particularly tough spot, especially with the team spiraling to a 10-game losing streak.
Although the former USC product’s interception totals were impressive, his lack of general accuracy was a sizable concern. The same could be said for his league-high 68 sacks taken. Despite the team’s mistakes in 2024, they’ve done everything they can to surround their second-year quarterback with as much talent as possible. That includes the coaching staff, headlined by Johnson, but not leaving out names like Declan Doyle and J.T. Barrett. For a second-straight offseason, the team’s front office has added high-value resources to the offense. That started with completely remaking the interior of the offensive line, and finished out by adding Colston Loveland at No. 10 overall, and Luther Burden with the first of three second-round selections.
Simply put, the ball is in Williams’ court. He finally has the proper supporting cast, starting up front and ranging out to his multitude of pass-catching options. Johnson’s work reviving Jared Goff’s career should provide fans with plenty of optimism. This team will go as far as their quarterback takes them. With a stud offensive coach, a drastically improved offensive line, and plenty of weapons to throw to, the opportunity for a quick and dramatic turnaround is there for the taking.
2. WR Rome Odunze (2024 1st Round Pick)
It is yet another first-round selection from last year’s loaded class. Similar to his quarterback, the former Washington product experienced an up-and-down rookie year. Odunze finished the season appearing in all 17 games with 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns. By most metrics, his rookie season was far from concerning. He had moments of dominance, especially as a down-the-field threat, but his mistakes were just as notable. Far too often, the large-bodied receiver was making mental mistakes in his alignment and even his route running.
Odunze showed plenty of flashes when it comes to living up to his Top 10 draft status, but he’ll need to take a big step, both as a receiver and blocker, in Year 2 to fulfill those expectations. Luckily for the Bears, Johnson brought Antwan Randle-El from Detroit as his receiving coach. Randle-El is a former player (and local product) who is widely regarded as one of the better receivers’ coaches in the NFL. Similar to Williams, there should be no concern about his drive or willingness to be coached hard. More than anything, Odunze needs to clean up his game and have more of a defined role in 2025. Not having Keenan Allen around will help, as will a competent offense that doesn’t see three coordinators in 17 games.
If all goes well, Williams and Odunze will be an elite connection in Chicago for the next decade, but for that to happen, both players must take significant steps in Year 2.
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Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images3. RT Darnell Wright (2023 1st Round Pick)
Rewinding to the 2023 draft, the team’s locker room was in a much different place. At the time, it was Year 2 of a new regime following an extensive teardown. The team lacked overall talent, but more importantly, they needed leadership. That led general manager Ryan Poles to pass on a consensus Top 3 talent in defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Despite an interior pass rusher being a sizable need, the front office opted for a one-pick trade down that ultimately netted Wright at No. 10 and punter Tory Taylor the following year.
While Carter has unsurprisingly become one of the league’s best defensive tackles, Wright is still trying to carve out his standing as a Top 10-15 right tackle. His rookie season, like most first-year offensive tackles, was uneven. Last year started rough, but he finished the season looking like a Top 10 right tackle. Heading into Year 3, there’s a strong chance that Wright could become the only returning Week 1 starter from 2024. Simply put, the Bears need him to take the next step in 2025.
New head coach Ben Johnson is no stranger to elite offensive line talent. In Detroit, he had one of the league’s best offensive lines, including a pair of Pro Bowl tackles in Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell. When Johnson took the job in January, he pointed to Sewell as a comp for Wright, which is high praise, considering Sewell is one of the best right tackles in the game. Although the former Tennessee product has flashed periods of dominance, consistency hasn’t been there. The best right guard’ll flank him, he’s played with at the NFL level in Jonah Jackson, and should be a part of a much-improved unit in general. This is a critical year for the third-year tackle, as he’ll have one more season to prove that he’s worthy of the fifth-year option. For an offensive line that desperately needs long-term cornerstones, Wright has an opportunity to establish himself as one of the league’s better tackles. More importantly, the Bears need it.
4. TE Colston Loveland (2025 1st Round Pick)
Any time a team spends a premium draft selection on a luxury position, it’s fair to have high expectations. Going into the draft, it would be easy to assume that the trenches would be the primary focus with the Bears’ first pick. Considering how the first nine picks played out, it’s a reasonable jump to justify the Loveland pick. Even so, this is a team that needs the young players they have to contribute at a high level now, especially if they hope to be selecting outside of the Top 10 for the first time in recent memory.
To this point, Loveland’s progress has been promising. Despite missing the entire offseason program as he recovered from shoulder surgery, the rookie tight end has hit the ground running in training camp. Bears fans should expect the former Michigan product to be involved early and often as the season kicks into gear.
Loveland’s physical profile and overall skill set translate similarly to Detroit Lions tight end Sam LaPorta. Bears fans should expect him to become a focal point of the offense at some point in the future, but for a team with playoff aspirations, the sooner the better. How Loveland’s development stacks up against fellow tight end Tyler Warren will be fascinating to track. The impact of other players will be felt after Loveland came off the board at No. 10 overall.
5. DT Gervon Dexter Sr. (2023 2nd Round Pick)
This might seem like a weird name to round out this list after their recent offseason moves at the position. Last year, Dexter was the only defensive tackle on the roster who appeared to start 15 or more games. The former Florida product started the season consistently getting after the quarterback, but his production tailed off as the injuries along the defensive line piled up.
Between March and April, the team added veteran Grady Jarrett on a three-year deal and selected Shemar Turner with their final pick in the second round. It would be reasonable to look at these moves and question Dexter’s status, but if his snap-share was an indication during the offseason program, it appears that he’ll be playing plenty of one-technique this season. In essence, that development could render Andrew Billings the odd-man out as the season goes on, but it’s worth noting that new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen likes to keep his defensive linemen fresh with heavy rotations. Couple that in with Dayo Odeyingbo’s ability to slide inside, and there’s plenty of reason to believe that this will be the best interior pass rush the Bears have had since the Vic Fangio golden years.
Although Dexter’s role might be changing in this new defense, Allen’s ability to allow his defensive linemen to play an attacking style should help the former second-round pick out in multiple different ways. As a pass rusher, he should be able to play more freely. He’ll need to continue to improve against the run, but much of that should be helped out by the new scheme in place. Dexter can be one of the league’s better defensive tackles, but this is going to be a big year for him. Especially if Billings can return to form and Turner develops as the season goes on. Playing time will be competitive, which should bring out the best in their best players. Fans should be inclined to believe that Dexter is one of those guys.
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