Bears Gain Momentum With Ashton Jeanty Amid New Draft Update

According to ESPN's Matt Miller, scouts around the league who have "observed" the Bears throughout the pre-draft process have the impression that they "love" Jeanty as a prospect and will strongly consider him with the No. 10 pick.

Jeanty's explosive play-making ability would be an obvious asset to new head coach Ben Johnson as he rebuilds Chicago's offense from the ground up. While quarterback Caleb Williams is the focus, Johnson has said "the best thing" for a young passer is to have a strong running game behind him.

The bigger mystery, as Miller noted, is whether Jeanty will still be available.

"The Bears love Ashton Jeanty, according to scouts around the league who've observed the team's activity this offseason," Miller wrote. "So the Boise State running back could be the pick at No. 10 ... if he's still around."

The Las Vegas Raiders — who hold the No. 6 pick — are likely the biggest threat to the Bears if the latter is fixated on Jeanty. The Raiders did little to upgrade their backfield during the 2025 offseason and correct the issue in Round 1.

The Dallas Cowboys could also look to trade up from No. 12 and enter the fray for Jeanty, potentially leaping the Bears to snag their new lead tailback.

The question now is: How much do the Bears truly "love" Jeanty?

If necessary, the Bears have the draft capital to trade up for Jeanty with two second-round selections (Nos. 39 and 41) in their pocket. Getting ahead of the Raiders would likely be the goal, but a trade into the top five could prove too costly for Chicago.

The first round of the NFL draft will begin at 8 p.m. ET on April 24.