The Chicago Bears explored trade opportunities to move up in the 2025 NFL Draft, only to come up short. We now have an idea of who the target may have been: former Ohio State Buckeyes star and 2024 CFP national champion TreVeyon Henderson. Henderson ultimately went to the New England Patriots with the No. 38 overall pick.
The Bears sat one spot behind the Patriots. Chicago contacted their Super Bowl XX opponent about making a trade. That much was revealed in a new behind-the-scenes video out of New England.
Bears Offered Picks Nos. 39 & 7th Rounder to Patriots
TreVeyon Henderson Drafted After Failed Bears Trade
“Chicago wants to just flip and give us a seventh,” Patriots director of player personnel Matt Groh is seen telling the room in the May 16 episode of “Forged in Foxborough”, which sparked a debate about which player the Patriots coveted more.
It is unclear if the Bears offered the 223rd pick or a future seventh. The Patriots debated passing on Henderson. They could have taken another back rather than a receiver with their next selection at No. 69 overall.
They chose Washington State wideout Kyle Williams with that latter pick.
The video shows Pats executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf on the phone with someone, presumably from the Bears. Wolf informed them of New England’s lean towards making the pick. It then shows another deal in discussion, though that was not from the Bears’ draft war room.
The Bears acquired the No. 233 overall pick used to select Monangai in November 2024. Ironically, it is from a trade sending running back Khalil Herbert to the Cincinnati Bengals.
That pick had running back written all over it.
It was used to acquire a running back by the Bengals. The Bears acquired it for a running back, seemingly nearly used it in a trade to move up for a running back, and then ultimately used it to draft a running back.
Bears Rookie Benefited From Failed Trade
The video filled in the blanks left following an intel drop from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Fowler detailed the Bears’ interest in a trade to move up for a running back in the draft.
Fowler also noted the end result benefits Bears’ seventh-round pick, Kyle Monangai.
“Some inside the league believe the Bears tried to make an early Day 2 move, possibly to move up four spots to Tennessee’s selection at No. 35. Knowing Chicago’s legwork on running backs, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson would have made a lot of sense in that regard,” Fowler wrote on May 7.
“Chicago has been linked to free agent running backs, typically teams like to first see what their rookies can do in May and June, with live on-field reps — a great chance for seventh-round back Kyle Monangai, who has an intriguing skill set.”
Monangai hopes to at least push D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, and Travis Homer for snaps.