Bryan Perez
The Chicago Bears’ decision to wait until the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft to select a running back was one of the more surprising developments from draft weekend. But a new report from the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer suggests that it wasn’t by design.
In fact, general manager Ryan Poles had his heart set on one of this year’s most explosive prospects in Round 2: Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson.
“Poles pressed the gas and made aggressive attempts to trade up,” Wiederer wrote. “Henderson’s blend of speed and vision, plus his tenacity in pass protection and skill as a pass catcher, were alluring. The Bears had significant interest.”
According to Wiederer, the Bears believed they had a deal in place with the Tennessee Titans to jump in front of the New England Patriots, but it collapsed.
“The Bears’ push to cut one spot in line in front of the Patriots in Round 2 also had momentum,” Wiederer wrote. “Until it didn’t. At the last minute, New England made its decision at No. 38. Henderson was announced as the newest member of Mike Vrabel’s offense at 6:33 p.m.”
And just like that, the Bears lost out on Henderson and, as each running back continued to come off the board, were left to wait until the final round to land what turned out to be a very promising prospect in Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai.
Graded more in line with a mid-round pick, Monangai slid to the seventh round and ended up being a fantastic value selection for Chicago.
Sometimes, things happen for a reason. No, Monangai doesn’t have as high of an NFL outlook as Henderson, but the combination of him and WR Luther Burden III, whom the Bears selected at No. 39, may end up being a better tandem than any wide receiver Chicago could’ve added in the later rounds to pair with Henderson.
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