The Coming of the Skillful: A Prophecy of Playmakers
- peytonpatterson85
- Apr 2
- 5 min read
The winds of change stir over Soldier Field, whispering of a rebirth, a return to glory long awaited. Once, the Bears’ dominion was feared, their power undeniable, their will imposed through might and mastery. But for the last 40 years, the tides of battle have not favored them, and their foes have found them wanting. Now, a new age dawns, and with it, a general of great renown—Ben Johnson—seeks the warriors who shall bring balance to his grand design.
A kingdom cannot thrive on steel alone. The maulers in the trenches forge the path, but it is the swift and the cunning who turn battle into legend. The Bears have their herald in DJ Moore, a steadfast option in the receiving corps, and the fleet-footed Rome Odunze joined at his side. Yet beyond them, the arsenal is lacking. The ground forces wane, the backfield yearning for a true commander. The air attack holds promise, but another option through the air could bring new dimensions to the war.
Thus, the great question looms: At the tenth choosing, shall the Bears call upon a wielder of the rock to march upon the enemy’s lines? Or shall they summon a rare instrument of war, a man of many forms, whose presence alone could alter the course of fate? Three names rise above the rest, each worthy of the mantle, each offering a different path toward dominion.
Ashton Jeanty – The Total Package
From the highlands of Boise State comes a warrior unlike many before him, a force of nature whose prowess echoes the names of legends—Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Christian McCaffrey. He is not merely swift nor merely strong, but both in harmony, a master of all that a ball carrier must be. His blade does not dull, his endurance does not wane. Jeanty is the complete back, a weapon capable of striking in every manner, whether on the ground or through the air.
Ben Johnson knows well the power of such a player, for he once forged a two-headed monster in Detroit. Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery—each mighty in his own way, each complementing the other. Yet Jeanty alone wields both blades, needing no counterpart to fulfill his duty. He can dance like Gibbs, strike like Montgomery, and carry the burden of an entire offense upon his shoulders.
His feats of strength are undeniable:
• In 2023, he led the realm of college football in scrimmage yards per battle, carving through foes with ruthless efficiency.
• In 2024, his legend grew to its peak—2,601 rushing yards, mere steps from history, his name uttered in the same breath as Barry Sanders himself.
• A Maxwell Award winner. A Doak Walker Award recipient. A Heisman finalist, standing among the greatest warriors in the land.
Yet, there is a whisper upon the wind that Jeanty may not last until the Bears’ time of choosing. The Raiders eye him with greed, the Saints hunger for his might. Should he remain when the tenth name is called, Chicago must not hesitate. A back such as this comes but once in an age.
Pro Comparison: LaDainian Tomlinson.
Tyler Warren – The Chess Piece
A brute may conquer by force, but a tactician bends the battlefield to his will. So enters Tyler Warren, a wielder of many talents, a knight unbound by convention. A tight end by name, but a weapon by trade, he defies the rigid mold of his kind, shifting his role as the battle requires.
Ben Johnson does not craft his armies with simplicity—he favors the adaptable, the unorthodox, the players who make defenses tremble in uncertainty. Warren is such a player. He can be the hammer or the scalpel. He can align alongside Cole Kmet, forming an unshakable fortress in 12 personnel. He can split wide, an oversized sentinel against undersized defenders. He can even take the helm of the Wildcat, surging forth as a runner when brute force is required.
His resume is as formidable as his frame:
• The Mackey Award, granted to the greatest of his craft.
• A Fiesta Bowl MVP, seizing victory when all eyes were upon him.
He is no burner, nor will he stretch the field with sheer velocity. His blocking, while willing, remains a work in progress. Yet what he lacks in deep-speed prowess, he makes up for in resilience, in versatility, in an unyielding ability to make the impossible catches. The Bears’ air attack would become an intricate dance of deception with Warren in its ranks, a web of misdirection and ingenuity that few defenses could untangle.
Should Chicago see past the expected and embrace the unprecedented, Warren could stand as a pillar of their resurgence.
Omarion Hampton – The Bell-Cow
When the night is darkest and the storm rages fiercest, there is no substitute for the unrelenting march of power. Omarion Hampton is not a man of subtlety. He is the battering ram, the war horse, the force that turns tides through sheer will. He does not dance, he does not deceive—he breaks, he punishes, he endures.
The heir to David Montgomery’s mantle, Hampton is built for the long war, for the games fought in the trenches, for the battles that are won not in moments of brilliance but in the accumulation of attrition. He will not elude many, but he will outlast them. He will not blaze past defenders, but he will leave them in his wake.
The record books tell his tale:
• In 2023, he carved through defenses for 1,504 yards, standing among the nation’s finest.
• In 2024, he climbed higher still—1,660 yards on the ground, 15 touchdowns to his name.
• A back who demands multiple hands upon him to be felled, whose balance and power are his greatest weapons.
Should the Bears find themselves without Jeanty, should they wish to trade back and gather greater arms for their campaign, Hampton may yet be their answer. Paired with D’Andre Swift, he would forge a two-headed beast much like Detroit’s own, allowing each to lean upon the other’s strengths.
He is not the swiftest. He is not the shiftiest. But he is relentless, and that, too, has its place upon the battlefield.
Pro Comparison: David Montgomery.
The Choice of Fates
The path ahead is uncertain, the draft a battlefield of its own. But one truth stands undeniable: the Bears cannot afford to stand idle. A champion must rise to claim the mantle of playmaker, to tip the scales of war in Chicago’s favor.
Should Jeanty remain when the tenth name is called, there is no debate—he is the chosen one, the wielder of all gifts, the back upon whom dynasties can be built. Should he be taken, then the question shifts: the brute force of Hampton, or the cunning of Warren? Each offers a different path to glory, each capable of etching their name into the halls of Bears history.
The time of waiting is near its end. Soon, the call shall be made, and a new warrior shall don the navy and orange. The kingdom of Chicago awaits its champion.
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