As the Chicago Bears enter the 2025 NFL Draft, one position can be emphatically crossed off the board entirely: quarterback.
It's Caleb Williams, Case Keenum and Tyson Bagent manning that room and there is simply no reason why Chicago should be eyeing a quarterback at all over the weekend. However, one specific quarterback prospect is going to directly impact a key point in their draft.
Friday, it became clear that Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart is not going to be attending the draft's opening night. His name was removed from the first-round attendees.
Why is this significant?
First of all, that signals Dart may be realizing he is not going to be picked in the first round, which many folks could have already told him.
Secondly, that just about cements the fact that he is going to be selected in Round 2, and that will directly impact the Bears in a big way.
Jaxson Dart is almost guaranteed to influence the Bears' Day 2 draft picks
The Bears own picks 39 and 41 in the second round. Just ahead of them are teams like the Cleveland Browns (33) and New York Giants (34). Even the Las Vegas Raiders at 37 could be intrigued if Dart is still on the board (he won't be).
The Bears pick seventh and ninth in the second round, and assuming Dart is one of those picks, they're going to have an even clearer view of their big board and potential options at 39 and 41. Dart should be a lock to go to one of the teams mentioned above.
There's also been a ton of steam building for a player like Jalen Milroe, despite some experts swearing him off until Round 3 at the earliest. If two teams want to take fliers on Dart and Milroe, that is then two of five picks locked into a quarterback just ahead of the Bears' first second round selection.
That will then allow them to focus on a position like running back (assuming Ashton Jeanty isn't already a Bear), and most are predicting a run on the running back position to start in Round 2 at some point.
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Could the Bears get their pick of the litter from players like TreVeyon Henderson, Quinshon Judkins or Kaleb Johnson? They just might.
Because Chicago has two picks in a matter of three selections, here, they can also be zeroing in on a spot like defensive tackle or edge rusher; maybe even an offensive tackle. It all depends which route they go in the first round, of course.
But, the idea that Dart is now going to firmly drop out of the first round seems to allow the Bears a little more leverage in the early second. It's just one player, sure. But, this isn't just any player. Dart was talked about as potentially sneaking into the first round.
Now, not so much, and the Bears are fortunate.