Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson may not hold the title of general manager, but many insiders have indicated he might as well. The widespread belief is that he has the final say on personnel decisions for this franchise. While general manager Ryan Poles still controls the scouting department and front office, no free-agent signing, trade, or draft pick will occur without Johnson’s approval. It also makes sense that he would set the parameters for how he wants the Bears to be constructed moving forward.

According to the latest intel gathered by Sports Mockery from the scouting combine, Johnson has installed a directive for the entire team this spring. They are to focus on one thing above all: speed.

Chicago was one of the slower teams in the NFL this past season, offensively and defensively. They ranked 23rd among teams with a combined 40-yard dash average. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were 11th. The Philadelphia Eagles, who won in 2024, were 4th. Speed doesn’t equal championships by itself, but it isn’t a coincidence that winning teams are often littered with it.

Ben Johnson prioritizing speed is nothing new.

It’s been part of his track record since his time as an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins. As tight ends coach with Miami in 2015, they signed Jordan Cameron as a free agent, noted for his 4.59 speed at 265 lbs. He shifted to wide receivers coach a year later and helped the Dolphins add Jakeem Grant (4.38). Yet it was in Detroit where that approach came fully to light. Between 2022 and 2023, as their offensive coordinator, the Lions added wide receiver Jameson Williams (4.25), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (4.36), and tight end Sam LaPorta (4.59).

Speed doesn’t win games by itself, but it does increase the margin of error for your team. One big play on offense can change the momentum of a game. Having a fast defense allows them to mitigate damage when tackles are missed or long passes are connected. Late Las Vegas Raiders owner Al Davis was easily the most obsessed person with speed, maybe in NFL history. Why? He explained.

“You can’t teach speed… everything else in the game can be taught, but speed is a gift from God.”

The Bears will have no shortage of options to choose from.

One thing about this year’s scouting combine is that it featured a healthy share of players with legitimate speed. Many of them are in positions where the Bears have needs. Edge rusher? Linebacker? Safety? All delivered impressive times. You can bet Ben Johnson also wants more juice at running back and wide receiver. No problems there, either. The only question is who among the many names might interest them the most. Here is a list of the top five runners at every position.

We already saw glimpses of this strategy last year. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden were both considered among the fastest players at their respective positions in the 2025 class. Dennis Allen openly said they (the Bears) got some speed when they drafted linebacker Ruben Hyppolite. It is a focal point that will carry over into this April’s draft. Knowing this could make it easier to pinpoint who the team selects with the 25th overall pick.

Likely Bears targets are starting to separate themselves.

At this stage, it remains uncertain who will even be on the board for the Bears when they go on the clock. The combine tends to cause a considerable shift in where players were projected to where they actually land. However, we can at least compile a list of names who:

• A. Have a reasonable chance of being available at #25
• B. Checked the speed box for their respective position

All of those players have the right mix of strong game tape and athletic testing that Johnson would be looking for. It comes down to how much positional value matters to the Bears’ head coach. He’s stated more than once that he is only interested in drafting good football players. They’ll sort out the rest later. This could mean the door is wide open to go in almost any direction. They need speed everywhere. Just pinpoint the best player who has it and take them. Don’t overthink it.

Everybody who worked in the NFL will say teams don’t make a decision on who they want to draft in February. There is still a lot of prep work to do. Pro days must be attended. Private visits must be conducted. A lot can happed with over a month still to go before the draft. Minds can change. This is true to an extent, but it’s not always the case. There have been many instances over the past few decades in which teams knew who they wanted to draft long before the event began. That is why you see minimal buzz around a #1 overall pick or a team jumping up in the 1st round via trade to snag someone. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is no stranger to this. So how does this involve Akheem Mesidor, you may ask?

Poles has made it clear on multiple occasions that he had eyes for specific players several weeks before the draft. It was true with Darnell Wright in 2023 and, of course, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in 2024. So it’s not at all crazy to think the Bears already have a good idea of who they want in the 2025 draft. In fact, signs are emerging that they may be formulating a plan to draft him. That player is the Miami Hurricanes defensive end. If you think that is a stretch, just follow the breadcrumbs.

Akheem Mesidor is considered a day two prospect in NFL circles

Let’s start with the player. Mesidor was one of the most dominant pass rushers this past season in college football, amassing 12.5 sacks while helping Miami reach the national championship game. Though average in terms of size, he brings violence, power, understated burst, and a white hot motor to the table. Under normal circumstances, he would likely be a top 10 pick. Unfortunately, Mesidor turns 25 years old this year, making him one of the oldest prospects in the class. This is primarily why, according to draft insider Charlie Campbell, people in the league see him as a likely day two pick.

A tremendous defense led by defensive ends Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor led Miami to the National Championship game. In the college football playoff, Bain and Mesidor were red-hot and produced consistent pressure on the quarterback. Many in the media have projected both to be first-round picks next April, but in speaking with sources at multiple teams, they have Mesidor as a day-two prospect.

“He’s got kind of a unique body, and he’s older, so we have him as a day-two guy,” said an AFC director of player personnel. Sources at other teams echoed those same sentiments about Mesidor’s age and size. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds and having short arms, Mesidor does not have the height or length that teams like to see with their edge rushers. Next season, Mesidor will be 25, and that is old for an NFL rookie.

If this is true, then any team that likes him will likely know their chances are good of landing Mesidor either at the bottom of the 1st round or top of the 2nd, which would give them the incentive to move down.

NFL executives believe the Bears might look to move down

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke with multiple NFL executives to gauge what the Bears might do with the 25th overall pick. Plenty talked about their options on defense, which should be plentiful. There could also be a left tackle option or two, depending on how things trend in the first 24 picks. However, more than one of them admitted this class might incentivize Poles to move down from that spot, namely because the list of acceptable options will be much longer than it would be if the Bears were picking in the top 10.

Said a college scouting director: “Instead of having to have seven guys on the board that you would take, now you have to have 15 or 25 that you’d like there. You get to a point where you’re like, ‘We don’t have 25 players we like in the first round.’ Then you start thinking about moving back, get some value.”

It’s an important point. If there are, say, 15 players the Bears might be willing to take at #25, then moving back ten spots would mean there will be at least five still remaining when they’re back on the board. The logic is sound. It was a big part of why Poles felt comfortable moving down from #1 in 2023. He was confident the player he wanted, Wright, would still be available. He was correct. So could he be similarly confident about Mesidor?

Ryan Poles mentioned Mesidor unprompted in an interview

The last part of this argument is determining whether the Bears even like the Miami defensive end. That became a major factor during an interview on The McShay Show, when he brought up the young man unprompted while discussing older prospects. At no point did the Bears’ general manager sound at all down on the idea of taking the pass rusher. Part of it is because Mesidor has tons of experience, so he would be ready to play immediately. Another is that he was developed by Jason Taylor, a Hall of Fame pass rusher.

Let’s also not forget Poles has already shown he isn’t afraid to take calculated risks on older prospects. His most famous was 3rd round wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (25) in 2022. Punter Tory Taylor was 26 when the Bears drafted him in 2024, and cornerback Zah Frazier turned 25 in October last year. Age clearly isn’t something that deters this GM. Not if he believes he’s getting a talented player at a reasonable value. Akheem Mesidor is a talented player. Besides, it’s not like taking older pass rushers doesn’t work.

Things are lining up. The Bears need pass rush help. Mesidor is one of the best in the class. Chicago would like to move down to secure extra draft capital (they have only 7 picks). NFL teams don’t like drafting older players in the 1st round. Lastly, you have a GM in charge who has a history of selecting them. All the signs point to what the Bears want to do.

The Bears granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade last week. Bear GM Ryan Poles opened the door for him to explore options across the league.

According to ESPN, the Titans, Raiders and Giants are among the teams showing interest. There are teams around the league that see value in Edmunds. He is still young and has played a lot of football at a high level. That alone keeps his name relevant in trade talks.

What is not known yet is what the Bears would get back. There is no confirmed offer. There is no reported deal in place. From a realistic standpoint, the return likely falls in the Day Three range of the draft. A fifth or even sixth round pick feels more in line with where things usually land for a veteran linebacker with a $17.4M cap hit.

Edmunds is not washed up. Before his injury, he was playing pro bowl caliber football last season. He has length, range and experience calling a defense. Teams looking to add stability in the middle will see that. The question is whether they are willing to take on his contract at the number it sits right now.

Why This Makes Sense For the Bears

From the Bears point of view, this is about flexibility. If they trade or move on from Edmunds, they open up significant cap space. That money can be used to address other needs on the roster. Ryan Poles has made it clear that tough decisions are part of roster building. This feels like one of those moments. This draft class is very interesting at linebacker which helps Chicago but also may hurt Edmunds value on the market.

If the Bears think they can replace Edmunds’ production at a lower cost, then exploring a trade makes sense.

At the same time, this is not a move they should rush. If the offers do not match that value, keeping him is not a terrible outcome. But it is unlikely given their current cap situation.

In my view, the Bears should seriously explore the market but stay patient. If a team is willing to give up a solid mid round pick, you take it. This is business. It is not personal. And right now, the Bears are simply doing good business.

If you ask experts at a local and national level about the Chicago Bears‘ draft priorities, they’ll say the same thing. Outside of left tackle, the team’s primary focus will be retooling its 29th-ranked defense. Several key starters are about to hit free agency, while two others (Tremaine Edmunds and Gervon Dexter) might be on the trade block. One would think that positions like tight end and wide receiver aren’t on the team’s to-do list after addressing both positions in last year’s draft. However, it is important not to forget that Bears head coach Ben Johnson calls the shots.

It would be wise not to dismiss wide receiver as a potential option in the draft this April, and not for the reason you think. Yes, D.J. Moore has been the subject of trade rumors for months. It is unclear whether the team is willing to continue paying his large salary cap hit after another dip in production last year. His fate won’t be the driving force behind Johnson’s desire to add another pass catcher in the draft. This is a much simpler motivation.

He wants more speed on the field.

Ben Johnson desires speed at every position.

That was never clearer than during the 2022 and 2023 drafts when he was the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions. The team prioritized Alabama receiver Jameson Williams in the 1st round despite recovering from a torn ACL because of his blazing speed. Estimates have him in the 4.2-4.3 range. The next year, they took running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the 1st round, who posted a 4.36 time at the scouting combine. Both became lethal weapons in Johnson’s offense over the following years.

When you look at the current makeup of the Bears’ offense, they don’t have anybody of that quality. No true burner who can threaten defenses over the top. The closest thing is Luther Burden, who posted a 4.41 time and was their best vertical threat last season. However, stretching the field was never his calling card. To fully unlock his system with the running game and play-action, Johnson will want somebody who forces defenses to stay in a two-high safety shell. By the look of things, this 2026 class has plenty of such options.

Johnson should have some notable names waiting in the later rounds.

Don’t expect Ben Johnson to make a move early in the draft. The 1st and 2nd rounds will be dedicated to the defense and left tackle at least. Probably the first three rounds. However, things will get interesting early on day three. The 4th or 5th rounds feel like the perfect territory to take such a gamble. Based on current projections, several of the names mentioned above on that combine top 10 list could be available in that range. Thompson is likely going somewhere in the 3rd or 4th. Caldwell could land anywhere between the 3rd and 5th.

Much of this comes down to Johnson’s preferences. Based on his track record dating back to 2016 as a wide receivers coach, every player selected was at least 6’0″ tall. If that holds true, the name to watch is Caldwell. He stands 6’5″, which makes his 4.31 time all the more impressive. He also has great hands. His route running needs a lot of work, but that won’t deter Johnson. Caldwell only started one season at the FBS level, so he’s a bit of an unknown. That is why he could be available in that early day three range.

Speed correlates with winning in today’s NFL.

Ben Johnson has understood this reality for a long time. His study of the game has been comprehensive. He’s aware of all the latest trends. One fact he is likely aware of is that several of the more recent Super Bowl champions had their passing game supplemented by at least one speedy wide receiver. In fact, since 2000, a total of 12 eventual champions have had somebody in their lineup with sub-4.40 speed. It isn’t the only thing that decides champions, but it clear plays a big part.

The Bears’ history backs this up even further. Their last championship winner was the 1985 team. Willie Gault, their leading target, was said to have 4.2 speed. Johnny Morris, the team’s all-time leading receiver and member of the 1963 championship team, was a world-class sprinter in college. He recorded a time that would’ve been 4.16 seconds today. It might also not be a coincidence that the last time the Bears reached a conference championship was when they had Johnny Knox in the lineup.

Few things can substitute for speed. Don’t expect Johnson to ignore that in the draft.