A dramatic odds shift points to the Chicago Bears drafting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty on Thursday night.
Entering the draft with the No. 10 pick, Bears general manager Ryan Poles indicated he might have something up his sleeve before the start of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“I think this one is going to be a little wild,” Poles said.
Getting their hands on the top running back in the draft might require the Bears to make a trade. Chicago has four of the top 72 overall picks in the draft.
FanDuel and other sportsbooks sent a strong signal that they have a read on Poles when they made the Bears the favorites at -180 to draft Jeanty. They were +340 behind the Jaguars and Raiders at sunrise.
Jacksonville was still -125 ahead of the Bears at -100 to draft Jeanty at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Noon CT on draft day. The Bears started the day at +300 via DraftKings.
New Bears head coach Ben Johnson and Poles made wholesale changes to the offensive line in the offseason and have indicated a stronger emphasis on the running game was in the offing. It appears Poles took Jeanty’s open letter to NFL decision-makers to heart.
Jeanty, the runner-up in Heisman Trophy voting to Travis Hunter Jr., shared these thoughts with GMs in his note last week: “It’s tackle football … you know what I’m saying? I’d draft the guy they can’t tackle. Thank you for your time.”
Jeanty rushed for 2,601 yards with 29 touchdowns in 2024 and had more than 1,733 yards after first contact, which would have still led the FBS. Arizona State battering ram Cam Skattebo was second to Jeanty in rushing with 1,711 yards.
The Bears signed running back D’Andre Swift as a free agent prior to the 2024 season. Swift would likely still be part of the RB pecking order given his past with Johnson when they were both in Detroit.
