The first round is in the books. The Chicago Bears selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland on Thursday with the No. 10 pick in the NFL draft.
The attention quickly turns to Day 2 on Friday.
The Bears have a chance to add several impact players during Day 2. With two second-round picks — Nos. 39 and 41 — the Bears are in an enviable position. General manager Ryan Poles has the Carolina Panthers to thank for that. The 39th pick is the last remaining piece from the 2023 trade that sent the No. 1 draft pick to the Panthers.
The Bears also enter Friday holding one third-round selection at No. 72. The draft resumes at 6 p.m. with Rounds 2 and 3 before concluding Saturday with Rounds 4-7.
Here are 24 players to watch in the second round.
Offensive line
Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota
The 6-foot-6, 331-pound Ersery was the Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year in 2024 and started 38 games at left tackle over three seasons at Minnesota. He has a huge frame and impressive strength. He performed well at the combine and ran one of the fastest 40-yard dashes — 5.01 seconds — among his position group. Five offensive tackles went in the first round, which could make Ersery the top tackle on the board for Day 2.
Tate Ratledge, Georgia
A starter at right guard over the last three seasons, Ratledge (6-6, 308) looks like one of the best pure guard prospects in this class. He excelled at the combine, notably with his 4.97-second 40. He has the potential to start right away.
Ozzy Trapilo, Boston College
There aren’t many sure things at offensive tackle remaining after the first night. Trapilo (6-8, 316) has a huge frame. He played both right and left tackle during his career at Boston College. He was a team captain and earned first-team All-ACC honors in 2024.
Defensive line
Jordan Burch, Oregon
Burch (6-4, 279) had 8½ sacks and 11 tackles for a loss in 10 games for the Ducks in 2024. He missed four games because of injury. Burch played two seasons at Oregon after transferring from South Carolina. His production improved throughout his five college seasons. The knock on Burch is he needs to improve against the run.
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College
The winner of the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s best defensive end, Ezeiruaku (6-2, 248) was second in the FBS with 16½ sacks in 2024, behind Marshall’s Mike Green, and had 20½ tackles for a loss. Ezeiruaku is slightly undersized for an NFL edge rusher. Many projections had him as a first-round pick.
Mike Green, Marshall
Green (6-3, 251) led the FBS with 17 sacks last season, but he twice has faced sexual assault allegations, which may explain his slide out of the first round. Green began his college career at Virginia but was suspended in 2022 because of the allegations. He transferred to Marshall and had his best season in 2024, earning second-team All-America honors.
Landon Jackson, Arkansas
A tall, lanky edge rusher, Jackson (6-6, 264) recorded 6½ sacks in each of the last two seasons. He has a huge wingspan that he uses to his advantage. He has suffered two ACL injuries in his career, one in high school and one in 2021 at LSU.
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M
Scourton (6-3, 257) led Purdue with 10 sacks in 2023 and was a team captain as a sophomore. After transferring to Texas A&M, the Texas native led the Aggies with five sacks in 2024 and had a team-high 14 tackles for a loss. He’s a relentless defender who is an asset both as a pass rusher and against the run.
J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State
Tuimoloau (6-4, 265) showed up in the biggest moments. He had 6½ sacks in four College Football Playoff games for the Buckeyes. He totaled 12½ sacks in 16 games last season. He’s a strong edge defender with good size and length. He might not be an athletic freak, but he’s a solid player who will contribute against the run and pass.
Running back
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
Henderson (5-10, 202) has the potential to be a three-down back. He pass blocks at a high level for a player coming out of college, and he has no problem catching passes out of the backfield. His numbers are off the charts athletically. He twice rushed for more than 1,000 yards at Ohio State and would be capable of contributing in an NFL offense immediately. He’s an efficient back with home run speed, but there are questions about his vision and decision making.
Kaleb Johnson, Iowa
The 2024 season was a breakout effort for Johnson (6-1, 224), who led the Big Ten with 1,537 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns. His 23 total touchdowns were an Iowa record. Johnson is a bruising back who shows a strong understanding of how to read blockers. He’s more apt to run through defenders than try to make them miss.
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
Judkins (6-0, 221) was part of Ohio State’s one-two punch with Henderson. Judkins was incredibly productive in college. After back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Mississippi, he transferred to Ohio State and surpassed 1,000 yards for a third time. His 1,060 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns led the Buckeyes last season.
Dylan Sampson, Tennessee
Sampson (5-8, 200) was the 2024 SEC Offensive Player of the Year. He totaled 1,634 yards from scrimmage and 22 touchdowns. Last season was his first as the full-time starter. He’s a compact runner, although perhaps a little small for an NFL back. He caught only 40 passes over three college seasons.
Wide receivers
Luther Burden III, Missouri
Burden (6-0, 206) was a five-star recruit coming out of East St. Louis. He had a huge 2023 season, totaling 1,212 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He didn’t quite match that production in 2024, but Burden still was seen as a potential first-round pick before the draft. He’s a major weapon with his run-after-the-catch abilities.
Tre Harris, Mississippi
Harris (6-2, 205) led Ole Miss in receiving each of the last two seasons, topping 1,000 yards in 2024 despite appearing in only eight games because of a groin injury. He played quarterback at Comeaux High School in Louisiana, where his top target was 2024 first-round pick Malik Nabers.
Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
Higgins (6-4, 214) needed just two seasons at Iowa State to boost himself to seventh on the school’s all-time receiving list with 2,166 yards. He had 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. He has great size and can line up all over the field.
Jaylin Noel, Iowa State
A smaller target, Noel (5-10, 194) makes up for it with speed — he ran a 4.39-second 40 at the combine. Noel had 80 receptions for 1,194 yards and eight touchdowns in 2024. Neither of the Iowa State receivers, Higgins and Noel, is expected to last beyond the second round.
Secondary
Trey Amos, Mississippi
Amos (6-1, 195) led Ole Miss with 13 passes defended and tied for the team lead with three interceptions. After beginning his career at Louisiana, Amos transferred to Alabama to play for defensive coordinator Pete Golding. When Golding went to Ole Miss, Amos followed him there. Amos is a lanky cornerback who played 61 college games over five seasons.
Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
An athletic and lanky safety, Emmanwori (6-3, 220) brings tremendous size to the position. He had six interceptions over the last two seasons and led South Carolina with 88 combined tackles last season. He was a first-team All-American in 2024.
Will Johnson, Michigan
Johnson (6-2, 194) was widely considered a likely first-round pick in the lead-up to the draft. Concerns about a knee injury have scared off some teams, according to multiple national reports. Johnson was a first-team All-American when Michigan won a national title in 2023, then earned second-team All-America honors last season. He had nine interceptions in 32 college games.
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Morrison (6-0, 193) missed 10 games last season with a hip injury. Before last season, he totaled nine interceptions in 25 games for the Irish. Morrison had 10 passes defended in 12 games in 2023. He primarily played at outside cornerback and was a team captain in 2024.
Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina
Revel (6-2, 194) is a big, strong and fast cornerback, but a torn ACL in his left knee in September caused him to miss most of last season. In 2023, he led East Carolina with 13 passes defended and added an interception. Revel primarily played as a boundary corner in college and has a rare combination of size and speed.
Azareye’h Thomas, Florida State
Although not the fastest cornerback, Thomas (6-1, 197) uses his size to his advantage and disrupts his opponents’ timing. He had 15 passes defended over three seasons at Florida State but only two interceptions.
Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
A ballhawking safety, Watts was a first-team All-American in 2023 and 2024. He had 13 interceptions in 29 games over the last two seasons. Watts (6-0, 204) won’t wow anyone with his 40 time, but he has an elite nose for the football.
Third-round options
The Bears also hold a third-round pick at No. 72. Here are some names to consider:
- Jaydon Blue, RB, Texas
- Trevor Etienne, RB, Georgia
- RJ Harvey, RB, Central Florida
- Cam Skattebo, RB, Arizona State
- Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
- Jack Bech, WR, TCU
- Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas
- Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
- Charles Grant, OT, William & Mary
- Marcus Mbow, OT/G, Purdue
- Jack Sawyer, Edge, Ohio State
- Princely Umanmielen, Edge, Mississippi
- Oluwafemi Oladejo, Edge, UCLA
