1st Round Pick (No. 32): Mike Green, EDGE | Marshall
An EDGE rusher jumping up draft boards right now is Mike Green out of Marshall. Green led all conferences within the NCAAF with 17 sacks this last season. He has been one of the more noticeable players over the last three days at the Senior Bowl.
Green has a high motor and flutter to his game. His ability to bend the corner is one of the best in the 2025 draft class. He is quick off the line and does a great job converting his speed to power. Once in position, he uses his quickness to set linemen up with his pass-rushing moves and he has a large arsenal of them. Green's weaknesses include his lean frame, habit of over-pursuing and getting out of position, and upper body strength.
Landing Green at this point in the draft is fantastic value and instantly upgrades the pass rush.
2nd Round Pick (No. 39): Xavier Watts, S | Notre Dame
Taking back-to-back defensive players might shock Chicago Bears fans, seeing as the team is trying to shift to being more offensive-focused now that Ben Johnson is the head coach. The thing is, with Dennis Allen running the defense, Kevin Byard turning 32 before the start of the 2025 season, and Jaquan Brisker missing more than half the year due to concussion issues, this team needs another legit safety.
Xavier Watts would make a fabulous addition to the roster. He is a first-round talent and worthy of being taken at 39. Even with the Bears owning pick 41, I felt it was too important to risk losing out on Watts by waiting two more picks. Watts is a high-intensity player who has a knack for getting his hands on the football. He came away with six interceptions in 2024 and seven in 2023.
With many teams playing Quarters, Watts would fit the defense well because he is a solid tackler on top of being a ball hawk. He will struggle at times in zone, but luckily Allen prefers man coverage.
2nd Round Pick (No. 41): Grey Zabel, IOL | NDSU
Whew! Chicago Bears fans will be happy to finally see an offensive lineman taken. They should also be glad to see one of the best interior linemen suit up after likely losing Teven Jenkins to free agency. Zabel has been dominant during Senior Bowl practice and has some versatility to play at either guard position. He was even taking some snaps at center.
Zabel is on the taller side, listed at 6'6", but does a solid job keeping his pad level low. He's very athletic and moves well. He's strong and has quick strong hands. Zabel does a great job moving from one level to the next. He's a better run blocker than a pass blocker, but he'd be an instant upgrade in both situations over what we saw in 2024 thanks to Jenkins struggling to stay healthy all game every game. I would expect the Chicago Bears to attack the offensive line in free agency but Zabel will be a plug-and-play option from the draft.