With the Bears holding the No. 25 pick in the NFL Draft, here are some fun facts about that slot:
The last time the Bears selected a player with the No. 25 pick in the draft, they won the NFL title that season.
The year was 1963, and because there were only 14 teams in the league at the time, No. 25 was a late second-round choice. The Bears drafted tight end Bob Jencks, a Miami (Ohio) product who appeared in 14 games with them over two seasons, winning a championship ring as Mike Ditka's backup and a part-time kicker as a rookie.
The most noteworthy of four No. 25 picks in Bears history was a three-time Pro Bowler who helped them win three NFL championships.
Selected by the Bears at No. 25 in 1938, fullback Gary Famigiletti spent eight of his nine NFL seasons in Chicago, rushing for 1,927 yards and 20 touchdowns on 505 carries. He departed as the franchise's third all-time leading rusher behind Bronko Nagurski (2,778) and Ray Nolting (2,285). Famigiletti was voted to Pro Bowls in 1940, '41 and '42 and won championships with the Bears in 1940, '41 and '43. In 1942, he ranked third in the NFL in rushing with 503 yards and led the league with eight rushing TDs. With only 10 teams in the league in 1938, the No. 25 pick was in the third round. In addition to Jencks and Famigiletti, the other two players the Bears have drafted at No. 25 were running backs Joe Boratyn in 1942 and Jim Swink in 1957.
The last time the Bears had the No. 25 pick in the draft (in 1989), they traded it.
They moved down in a deal with the Dolphins, acquiring selections in the second and third rounds that they spent on linebacker John Roper at No. 36 and offensive lineman Jerry Fontenot at No. 65. Miami chose safety Louis Oliver at No. 25.
The last eight players taken at No. 25 in the draft have all played offense.
The list consists of quarterback Jaxson Dart (Giants in 2025), offensive tackle Jordan Morgan (Packers, 2024), tight end Dalton Kincaid (Bills. 2023), center Tyler Linderbaum (Ravens. 2022), running back Travis Etienne (Jaguars. 2021), receiver Brandon Aiyuk (49ers. 2020), receiver Hollywood Brown (Ravens, 2019) and tight end Hayden Hurst (Ravens, 2018). The last defensive player chosen at No. 25 was safety Jabrill Peppers by the Browns in 2017.
The last player taken at No. 25 to play for the Bears was cornerback Artie Burns.
Drafted by the Steelers in 2016, Burns spent his first four seasons with Pittsburgh before joining the Bears in 2021. During his only year in Chicago, he appeared in 11 games with six starts, recording 23 tackles and six pass breakups.
Eight of the 26 players selected at No. 25 since 2000 have been voted to the Pro Bowl.
Six of the eight Pro Bowlers were defensive players chosen in an eight-year period from 2007-14: Linebacker Jon Beason (Panthers, 2007), cornerback Mike Jenkins (Cowboys, 2008), cornerback Vontae Davis (Dolphins, 2009), linebacker Dont'a Hightower (Patriots ,2012), cornerback Xavier Rhodes (Vikings, 2013) and cornerback Jason Verrett (Chargers, 2014). The other two Pro Bowlers are Kincaid and Linderbaum.
Since the inception of the NFL Draft in 1936, no player chosen at No. 25 has been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
There has been one Hall of Famer drafted at No. 24 (safety Ed Reed by the Ravens in 2002) and three at No. 26 (guard Joe DeLamielleure by the Bills in 1973, linebacker Ray Lewis by the Ravens in 1996 and guard Alan Faneca by the Steelers in 1998), but none at No. 25.
