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The Chicago Bears welcomed eight new rookies to the roster during the 2025 NFL draft, which included a pair of playmakers in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with their first two selections.
Chicago also shored up the trenches with the second-round selections of offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo and defensive tackle Shemar Turner. The Bears also found some potential late-round gems with linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, cornerback Zah Frazier, guard Luke Newman and running back Kyle Monangai on Day 3.
Over the next few days, our Bears Wire staff will be sharing their thoughts about the 2025 rookie class. Next up: Our best value draft pick, where Chicago certainly got value in the second round.
Alyssa Barbieri: WR Luther Burden III
Luther Burden was clearly the best player available when the Bears were picking at 39, and with both Ohio State running backs off the board, this felt like a smart move for Chicago as Ben Johnson’s vision for this offense has become abundantly clear. Johnson has discussed the importance of the slot receiver in his offense, and that’s exactly the role that Burden will be filling in the Bears offense as a YAC machine (although Johnson should be able to move him around). Let’s be honest, Burden should’ve been a first-round draft pick. Instead, the NFL let him fall to the second round and right into the waiting arms of Johnson, who might’ve found his Jameson Williams in Burden.
Brendan Sugrue: WR Luther Burden III
A year ago, Luther Burden was considered to be a top-10 pick and easily the best receiver in the 2025 class. Thanks to injuries at the QB position at Mizzou, however, he wasn’t as productive this past season and fell in the draft as a result. The Bears benefitted as they landed one of the most talented offensive players at No. 39 overall. In a vacuum, the pick is a good one. Burden can do it all, from breaking tackles on quick out routes to putting double moves on defenders on a deep pattern. His presence does create some questions with the receivers already on the team, namely DJ Moore, a player with a similar skill set. 2026 could be an interesting year, but having those two on board to go with Rome Odunze should make for a talented trio that oozes athleticism.
Mike Pendleton:
This pick may admit some level of mistake or regret in using a third round pick on Kiran Amegadije, but it also brings an incredible amount of value and competition to the tackle spot. Selecting Trapilo gives Ben Johnson and Dan Roushar options. Do they want to consider moving Darnell Wright to left tackle? Would Trapilo play right tackle in that case? Will Trapilo battle Braxton Jones for starting left tackle? So much intrigue for the final spot to figure out on the rebuilt offensive line, Trapilo gives the Bears options and competition. It’s hard to beat that. Especially since he’s played both right and left tackle, his experience could go a long way.
Vincent Parise:
Did the Bears need another wide receiver? It certainly wasn’t their biggest need with Rome Odunze and DJ Moore in the mix. That doesn’t take away from the fact that Luther Burden III is a wonderful player. Two things can be true. If Ben Johnson believes that he is a pivotal part of the offense, then he has the right to select him. If you can ignore the positional need organizationally, you can see that Burden is an outstanding receiver who easily could have been a first round pick. If a second round selection becomes a star in Johnson’s offense, it will be hard to call him anything other than a great value pick.
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