Chicago Bears make massive trenches upgrade in ESPN’s latest 2-round NFL Mock Draft
The 2025 NFL Combine is in the rearview mirror, and new narratives about this year’s crop of prospects have emerged. Each team’s big board is undergoing real-time changes, and their list of needs will shift once 2025 free agency arrives.
But now that we have concrete data on most of this year’s top prospects, 2025 NFL mock drafts have more value, even if the first-round landscape is subject to change over the next couple of weeks.
“The Bears’ offensive line was among the worst in the NFL this past season, allowing a league-high 68 sacks,” Reid wrote. “Membou would be a strong building block in constructing a more consistent group. Primarily playing right tackle during his career, he made a massive leap as a junior, giving up only one sack and shutting down many of the SEC’s best pass rushers. The Bears are already set at right tackle with Darnell Wright, so Membou could provide immediate competition to Braxton Jones at left tackle or start at either guard spot.”
Membou’s freakish performance at the NFL Combine elevated his first-round stock to where he’s now considered the favorite to be the first offensive lineman drafted, even ahead of LSU’s Will Campbell, who’s long been viewed as the top offensive lineman in the 2025 NFL Draft.
The biggest question surrounding Membou’s potential fit with the Chicago Bears is his position. He was a right tackle for Missouri, which is the only position on the Bears’ offensive line that doesn’t need an upgrade. As a result, Membou would have to flip to left tackle or be moved inside to guard, both of which seem like reasonable options for a player with his immense upside.
ESPN’s mock draft continued the Bears’ offensive line rebuild a pick No. 39, where Chicago lands Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson.
“The Bears can add another option for their offensive line here, focusing their attention on a prospect whose draft stock skyrocketed since shifting from guard to tackle in the middle of last season,” wrote Reid. “Jackson gives Chicago versatility as it tries to build the best protection for franchise QB Caleb Williams.”
Jackson is a perfect fit for a Bears team that’s searching for starters at guard and center, as well as competition for Braxton Jones at left tackle. Enter Jackson, who can compete for all three roles.