The Bears had a presence at Notre Dame’s pro day this week, and while the headliner, running back Jeremiyah Love, won’t realistically be an option at No. 25, there were a couple of names that made a lot more sense in Chicago’s range.
Running back Jadarian Price and interior lineman Billy Schrauth both check boxes for the Bears in different ways. Price brings explosiveness and efficiency out of the backfield, while Schrauth offers versatility along the interior, including experience at center, something that suddenly matters a lot more after Drew Dalman’s retirement and the short-term nature of the Garrett Bradbury addition.
At face value, though, using early picks on a running back and a guard (or center) doesn’t exactly line up with the Bears’ most pressing needs.
The holes that still stand out, pass rush, defensive line, and second-level speed, all live on the defensive side of the ball. And after the way Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson attacked last offseason, there’s a pretty clear blueprint for how this could go.
A year ago, the focus was building around Caleb Williams. Chicago used premium draft capital on Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and Ozzy Trapilo, reshaping the offense in one offseason. If the Bears are going to take the next step toward legitimate contention, the natural assumption is that the defense gets that same level of attention this April.
That’s the clean, logical path.
But it’s not necessarily the path this front office takes.
© MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesDo the Bears Draft for Need — or Trust the Board Again?
As my colleague Matt Rooney pointed out, the Bears didn’t draft strictly for need last year. They trusted their board, prioritized talent, and figured out the rest later. And it worked. So now the question becomes whether they’re willing to lean into that approach again, even if it means drafting players who don’t perfectly match the current depth chart.
Because if that’s the mindset, then players like Price, even at a position that doesn’t scream urgency, become a lot more interesting.
Price averaged over six yards per carry while sharing the backfield with Love and proved he can impact the game in multiple ways. And while there’s a clear gap between him and Love, a potential top-five pick who piled up nearly 2,500 yards and 40 touchdowns over the last two seasons, Price is widely viewed as one of the next-best options in this class.
Schrauth presents a different kind of intrigue.
The Bears are set at guard with Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, but the center position is far less settled long-term. Bradbury feels like a bridge, not a solution, and Schrauth’s ability to snap, something he’s practiced consistently, gives Chicago a developmental option behind him. That’s not flashy, but it’s practical roster building.
© MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn ImagesStill, it all comes back to the same tension. At face value, neither move feels like it solves the Bears’ biggest problems. But we’ve already seen how quickly that logic can shift.
This time last year, wide receiver didn’t feel like a glaring need. DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Cole Kmet gave Chicago a solid foundation in the passing game. But Poles and Johnson clearly saw something different. They added Loveland and Burden anyway, and within a year, the entire structure of that room changed. Moore is gone after a reduced role, Odunze battled injuries and inconsistency, and the offense now runs through a new core.
That’s the reality of the NFL. Things don’t just change, they change fast.
Which is why dismissing Notre Dame fits like Price or Schrauth outright might be missing the bigger picture. Even if they don’t line up perfectly with today’s needs, they could align with where this roster is heading.
That said, if the Bears want to raise their ceiling in 2026, the defense still feels like the side of the ball that needs to move. And the clearest path to doing that is replicating last year’s draft success, just with a different emphasis.
Whether they follow need or trust the board again will tell us a lot about how this front office views its roster, not just for this season, but for what comes next.
Hence then, the article about do the bears draft for need or trust the board again was published today ( ) and is available on Bleacher Nation ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Do the Bears Draft for Need — or Trust the Board Again? )
Also on site :
- Alonso to join Japanese GP weekend late – for the best of reasons
- ‘Astonished’ Wolff slams fresh Verstappen-to-Mercedes speculation
- Cubs Roster Move: Dylan Carlson Officially Joins the Outfield Mix