The Chicago Bears are about to embark on the most important season in the history of their franchise. There, I said it; 2025 is about to be the “make or break” year for the ‘Monsters of the Midway.’ But the question that is on everyone’s mind with this team is…..what are they going to do with the 10th overall pick?

There have been plenty of “rumors” surrounding the pick, and the direction that Ryan Poles may/may not go on draft night. For starters; there’s the thought of the Bears moving up a few spots to snag Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty. Then, there’s all of the talk surrounding Penn State TE Tyler Warren, and the thought of pairing him up with Cole Kmet.

But with the most recent overhaul of the O-Line, a big talking point for this team has been…..what if they go with a tackle at 10? What if they go for LSU’s Will Campbell, or Missouri’s Armand Membou, to help man the final spot in the trenches? Would this help solidify the front-five for Caleb Williams and co.?

Missouri OT Armand Membou #BuildingTheBoard

Membou has been a fixture near the top of draft boards for months, and it’s easy to see why. A three-year starter at right tackle for Missouri, Membou took ver the starting RT job as a true freshman and never looked back, finishing… pic.twitter.com/1Q12RVZlLW

— Chicago Football Connection (@CFCBears) April 12, 2025

To be fair……the idea makes sense, in theory. With the likes of Dalman, Thuney, Jackson, and Wright protecting Caleb; the thought of bringing in one more body to solidify the fortress just seems like the right play. It just seems like the move the Bears need to make, in order to help create a WALL for Caleb Williams.

The issue with this plan though is that Campbell and Membou may (reportedly) not be there at 10. As of writing this article, the big man from LSU’s betting odds are listed at -250 for him to be drafted by the Patriots with the fourth overall pick. Then with Membou, there is a belief that he will be taken by the Raiders at 6, after the report about Kolton Miller wanting an extension surfaced…

#Raiders LT Kolton Miller is not currently participating in the voluntary offseason program as he seeks a contract extension, per source.

Miller, 29, is a seven-year starter and 2026 free agent. Las Vegas has not engaged in contract talks with the former first-round pick. pic.twitter.com/wGhr8j05Jn

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 16, 2025

So if Ryan Poles and co. are going to be out of the running for these two…..then why in God’s name would we go tackle at 10? Why would we reach for a Josh Simmons or a Kelvin Banks Jr., when they are being projected to go in the late teens and the mid-20s? That just seems like a bit of a dumb move, in my book. That is ESPECIALLY true with Josh Simmons out of Ohio State, who is coming off of an ACL injury that he suffered last season for the Buckeyes.

To me, that would be the biggest miss in the entire world. Using the tenth pick on Simmons or Banks would be a monumental stretch, and a waste of a pick. That is especially true, because we do IN FACT have a left tackle already on the roster. We already have Braxton Jones who, although not GREAT, is still actually a decent lineman. He is still a veteran presence in that locker room, who was ranked 20th last season by Pro Football Focus out of 141 possible tackles.

He is a serviceable member of this line, who can hold his own better than most tackles out there. Not only that; the thought of having a veteran protecting our franchise quarterback, instead of a rookie who may (or may not) live up to their hype, sounds a little less daunting in my book. If that makes sense?

I mean sure, it would be nice to snag another young tackle to pair with Darnell Wright for the future. But to me, there are other moves this brass can make with this pick. There are other avenues that Ryan Poles can take, to help improve a team that only won four games last season. Whether it’s Ashton Jeanty, trading back, or anything in between; there are plenty of possibilities for this team.

But in the end, as always……what do I know? I’m just a guy from the Midwest, with a beer and a laptop, trying to make sense of this world.