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The Chicago Bears will not have an opportunity to make a trade again until the 2025 offseason arrives, but the folks over at Windy City Gridiron are already considering the possibility of the team shipping off left tackle Braxton Jones.
Jacob Infante, WCG’s lead NFL draft analyst, recently compiled a seven-round 2025 mock draft for the Bears and proposed a plausible trade scenario in which the Kansas City Chiefs would acquire Jones from Chicago in exchange for a pair of draft selections.
Specifically, Infante projects the Bears would receive the Chiefs’ 2025 fourth-round pick along with their 2026 third-round selection for giving up their 25-year-old left tackle.
“Chicago wouldn’t get a massive haul for Jones, seeing as though 2025 is the last year on his rookie contract,” Infante wrote in his pre-Week 11 mock draft on November 12.
“However, the Chiefs have a big problem at left tackle currently, and Jones would be a huge upgrade over what they currently have. Whether or not they extend him would remain to be seen, but his cheap 2025 price would make him a valuable piece at a key position as they push for another Super Bowl next year. It’s a win-win for both sides.”
Can Bears Depend on Braxton Jones for Long Term?
Jones has exceeded expectations over his first three seasons with the Bears. The 2022 fifth-round pick has started 36 games at left tackle — including all 17 as a rookie — and has gradually grown into an above-average talent at the position by taking advantage of his impressive size (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) and working on improving his technique.
Jones even had a highlight-worthy play in the 20-19 loss to the Packers in Week 11. Late in the third quarter, he got out in front of running back D’Andre Swift on a left-side run and delivered a crushing block to Packers rookie safety Evan Williams, springing Swift for a 39-yard touchdown that helped the Bears take a five-point lead over their rivals.
With Jones entering a contract season in 2025, though, the Bears need to start asking the tough questions about his long-term viability at left tackle. He has proven solid for them over his first three years, but can he reach an elite level? What about a Pro Bowl level? If the Bears do not feel confident he can reach either, then they may seek out an upgrade for the position in 2025 to help protect franchise quarterback Caleb Williams.
The Bears also have to consider Jones’ injury history. He missed six games in 2023 with a hamstring injury and has already sat out two more in 2024 because of a knee injury. The Bears can look past his misfortune while he is playing on his four-year, $3.9 million rookie contract, but it will be much harder to overcome when he needs a new deal.
Jones can still solidify a place in the Bears’ future plans, but he hasn’t done so yet.
Bears Could Replace Braxton Jones With Top 2025 Pick
The Bears would need to have a replacement plan in place at left tackle if they wanted to explore trade options with Jones during the 2025 offseason. Fortunately, Infante had an additional suggestion to justify his trade pitch with Jones: for Chicago to use its first-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft to select LSU superstar left tackle Will Campbell.
Campbell could become a fan-favorite option for the Bears in 2025’s first round if the team finishes in a similar spot to its current draft position. (After Week 11’s games, the Bears are projected to have the No. 14 overall pick.) The 6-foot-6, 323-pound prospect is a strong, brutally physical blocker who has the length and athleticism to play tackle at the NFL level and projects as a plug-and-play starter for whichever team drafts him.
According to Pro Football Focus, Campbell lost just eight of his first 317 pass-blocking snaps for the Tigers over the first seven games and has allowed just one sack all season long from the blindside. The sports analytics juggernaut also ranked Campbell as the best offensive tackle in the 2025 class — as well as the No. 8 overall prospect — in its 2025 NFL Big Board rankings, putting him ahead of Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. (No. 11).
If Campbell’s prestige continues to grow, the Bears could have difficulty landing him without one of the first 10 picks in the 2025 draft. That said, if they do hold one of the coveted top-10 selections once the season is over, Campbell would be a prime target.
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