This browser does not support the Video element.
Former Illini WR Pat Bryant talks NFL Draft, Illinois’ biggest rival
We catch up with former Illinois wide receiver Pat Bryant.
The 2025 NFL Draft is just a month away. The Chicago Bears are getting their chance to conduct a few job interviews.
So far, six known players will make the trip to Chicago for a top-30 visit. NFL teams have up to 30 players visit their for "top-30 visits," where teams can meet with players as a way to get to know them better.
After the Bears reshaped their offensive line in free agency, these are the players who will visit the Bears on a top-30 visit before the 2025 NFL Draft.
Chicago Bears top-30 visits
Josh Conerly Jr. - OT, Oregon
Seeing Conerly rise on an NFL team's draft boards isn't surprising. He made a statement after a stellar 2024 season that he punctuated in the Big Ten Championship game against top prospect Abdul Carter.
He's an athletic tackle that scouts can see improvement with every season he's played at Oregon. The main knock on his game is that he needs to get stronger, but that can always be corrected. His athleticism fits what head coach Ben Johnson wants in an offensive lineman.
Conerly was a third-team Associated Press All-American and First-team All-Big Ten player for the Ducks, helping Oregon earn a Big Ten Championship and the No. 1 ranking in the College Football Playoff.
Ashton Jeanty - RB, Boise State
Arguably the best player in the draft at his position, the 2024 Heisman Trophy runner-up was 28 short of breaking Barry Sanders' single-season rushing record set in 1988. In all, Jeanty had a staggering 2,601 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns.
Bringing in Jeanty for a visit makes sense in general. It also makes sense, considering Johnson's history with running backs.
In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Lions drafted Alabama running back Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th overall selection. The move was questioned then, as it seemed too high to select a player like Gibbs. No one questions it now after Gibbs led the NFL with 16 touchdowns under Johnson's watch.
Will Campbell - OT, LSU
This makes perfect sense.
Campbell is the No. 1 offensive line prospect in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bears spent all offseason overhauling their offensive line. Seeking to add the best prospect in the draft to that line as a way to invest in the future of the offensive line is a great idea.
The question becomes if Campbell will fall to the Bears at No. 10 overall. He's projected to be a top-10 selection.
FOX 32 NFL mock draft 2.0: How the Chicago Bears' priorities look after free agency
After the Combine and free agency additions, here's what we can forecast for the Bears at No. 10.
Nick Martin - LB, Oklahoma State
Bringing in Martin is a sign the Bears are thinking about the future of their linebacking corps, especially with TJ Edwards entering a conract year and Trumaine Edmunds having a relatively easy out of his four-year contract after the 2025 season.
Martin is a player the Bears could usher into one of their linebacker spots. He had knee injury that limited him to five games in 2024, but he was a first-team All-Big 12 Conference linebacker in 2023 where he had 140 tackles, six sacks and two interceptions. He could be a Day 3 pick for the Bears, with the potential for a Day 2 selection depending on his Pro Day and pre-draft process.
Brashard Smith - RB, SMU
The Bears will be in the market for a running back in this draft. If Jeanty's visit doesn't speak enough volumes, then Smith's visit should.
Smith transferred from Miami to SMU and converted from wide receiver to running back. In 2024, he was a third-team Associated Press All-American All-Purpose selection and rushed for 1,332 yards with 14 touchdowns. He also has the ability to return kickoffs, which was an area he shined in at Miami. He wouldn't be a Day 1 selection, but could be a Day 2 selection for the Bears.
Isaiah Bond - WR, Texas
Plenty of comparisons will be made between Johnson's offense in Detroit and who the Bears currently have on their roster. For example, plenty assume wide receiver DJ Moore will play a similar role that Amon-Ra St. Brown had as the Lions' go-to receiver.
Still, what about Jameson Williams' role? Williams was the guy with blazing speed that could take the top off any defense. Bond, who ran the 40-yard dash in 4.39 seconds at the NFL Combine, would fit that role.
Bond had 540 receiving yards in the 2024 season after transferring to Texas from Alabama. He's an explosive athlete that would give Johnson a weapon to use in plenty of ways.
Top-30 Visit Update: April 5
Dylan Fairchild - OG, Georgia
Fairchild visited the Bears at the beginning of April, and he could be a reserve offensive lineman to watch on Day 3 of the NFL Draft.
Fairchild was a second-team Associated Press All-American and second-team All-SEC. He started all 14 games at left guard for Georgia this past season for a Bulldogs team that went to the College Football Playoff.
Tyler Warren - TE, Penn State
If Jeanty gets a look, so should Warren. The Bears are reportedly making that happen after meeting with Warren at the NFL Combine, according to NFL draft analyst Tony Pauline.
Warren was one of the best players in college football last season. He caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight scores in 2024, including a 17-reception, 224-yard game vs. USC. He's also a great blocker.
Jahdae Barron - CB, Texas
The Jim Thorpe Award Winner for the best college football defensive back will visit the Bears. However, he might be long gone by the time the Bears get to their second-round selections.
Barron is moving up draft boards quickly, and had five interceptions with 11 pass breakups last year.
Andrew Mukuba - S, Texas
Barron's teammate in the defensive backfield will also visit the Bears.
Like Barron, Mukuba also had five interceptions in the 2024 season, including one in the Longhorns' 39-31 win over Arizona State in the College Football Playoff Peach Bowl.