ESPN's 2025 two-round redraft proves Bears got it right the first time

The Chicago Bears and redrafts do not typically go well.

It is usually a reminder of who they lost and who they missed out on, as they look back on the disastrous choice they made. Things have changed in Chicago, however, and so has the reaction to their draft picks. In a recent redraft of the first two rounds of the 2025 draft, the team did pretty well.

With the 10th overall pick, the team selected Colston Loveland, and ESPN’s Courtney Cronin agreed that this was the best pick for the situation. The board unfolded slightly differently, but it was still as far as Loveland could drop.

"At the time, many questioned why the Bears drafted Loveland over Tyler Warren, who had significantly more receiving production at Penn State. That feeling lingered until Loveland's breakout performance against the Bengals in Week 9, which proved he was the right pick for Ben Johnson's system. The former Michigan tight end finished as Chicago's leader in receptions (58) and receiving yards (713) and was tied for the team lead with six touchdowns"
Courtney Cronin

Chicago Bears chose right in the 2025 NFL Draft

In this draft, Cam Ward, Tyler Shough, and Jaxon Dart started the top three. Will Campbell stayed fourth, Travis Hunter went fifth, Armand Membou sixth, Abdul Carter seventh, and picks eight and nine stayed the same. So, Loveland went over Tyler Warren in the re-draft as well. This is fair because of how strong Loveland came on to end the season and how dynamic he can be as a pass catcher and blocker.

Meanwhile, in the second round, their pick could not even get to them. They picked 39th, and Luther Burden went 35th overall. This speaks to how big a hit the pick was and how high the upside remains for this player. Both Bears picks were hardly seeing the field in the first six weeks of the season, and both ended up outplaying or living up to their draft status.

For the Bears' actual pick in this re-draft, Cronin chose Quinshon Judkins. She notes that the team wanted a running back at the time, and after missing on Burden, they got the actual need. Still, most Bears fans will tell you they are glad the team went receiver instead. Judkins is recovering from a serious injury, but no one can deny that he made an impact as a rookie.

Tre’Veyeon Henderson, who reportedly was the Bears' preference over Burden, went 29th in this re-draft. So even if the Bears ended up landing Henderson, it would have worked out well for them.

This is a case of good scouting by the Bears. Not only were their picks good, but their leaked targets also turned out to be strong picks as well.