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The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, where there are no shortage of needs for them to address with their seven selections. They do have four picks in the top 89 selections, after trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, which gives them premium capital to help bolster the roster.
General manager Ryan Poles had his best draft class last year, in head coach Ben Johnson's first season, landing future stars in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III and solid contributors in running back Kyle Monangai and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Now, the hope is Poles can replicate that success with this 2026 draft class.
It might be more difficult considering the array of position needs, which could impact Poles' best-available approach and make it more important to draft by need. But, in my latest seven-round mock draft, the Bears navigate that scenario by addressing needs and landing potential impact players to shore up the defense, find their center of the future and add some potential steals in the seventh round.
The Bears didn't address defensive tackle in a meaningful way in free agency rather adding depth pieces including Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch. They need to find another impact player along the interior to pair with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. This isn't a particularly deep defensive tackle class, so it feels like Chicago's best bet would be to address it with the 25th overall pick if someone like Peter Woods is still on the board. Woods was a projected top-10 pick before last season, but his stock has fallen after an underwhelming 2025 season. That could wind up playing right into Chicago's favor as they land a powerful and explosive athlete to develop in the trenches.
Chicago lost both starting safeties from last season in Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. While they were able to land a top free-agent safety in Coby Bryant, there's still a starting job that must be filled in the draft. While the Bears could very well use their first pick on a safety, like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, there are some other options in the second round that could also be impactful. A.J. Haulcy is a hard-hitting safety who would be the perfect fit in Dennis Allen's defense. Haulcy would be able to fill the ballhawking role left by Byard with his penchant for takeaways while shoring up a key need in the secondary.
The Bears appeared to have found their center of the future in Drew Dalman before he shockingly retired after just five NFL seasons. Chicago quickly pivoted by trading for Garrett Bradbury, sending a 2027 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots. And while Bradbury is the short-term fix, the Bears are back in the market for a long-term center. Chicago has shown interest in Sam Hecht, where they had several coaches and scouts in attendance at Kansas State's pro day. Last season, Hecht allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits, seven pressures and committed zero penalties in 759 snaps. Hecht has the potential to be a long-term starter at one of the most important positions in Ben Johnson's offense.
Chicago needs to find a way to get pressure on the opposing quarterback, and drafting Peter Woods to bring interior pressure was a good start. As for bringing pressure off the edge, LT Overton would be a nice pairing opposite Montez Sweat in a group also featuring Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo. Bears general manager Ryan Poles was recently spotted at Alabama's pro day, where he was likely getting a look at several prospects, including Overton. He has impressive power and can play multiple positions along the defensive line, which could be beneficial as Chicago looks to shore up the interior.
There were some big changes at linebacker for Chicago this offseason, including most notably the release of Tremaine Edmunds to free up salary cap space. The Bears signed Devin Bush to replace him, and they also re-signed D'Marco Jackson and brought back Jack Sanborn to fill out the room while T.J. Edwards recovers from his fractured fibula suffered back in January. Taurean York, a starter with the Aggies since his freshman year, is undersized at the position, which could allow him to fall to the fourth round and into the waiting arms of the Bears. York possesses the smarts and production, having played in the SEC, to develop into an impact player in the NFL.
The Bears need to add wide receiver depth following the departures of DJ Moore via trade, Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay. While they did sign Kalif Raymond, reuniting him with Ben Johnson and providing a solid returner, Chicago needs a long-term answer at return specialist. The Bears could find a steal in Kaden Wetjen in the seventh round. He possesses impressive speed and is arguably the best return specialist in this draft class, where he would thrive as both a kick returner and punt returner from the moment he steps into the NFL. In the last two years, he had six return touchdowns, making him a potential dangerous weapon for Richard Hightower.
Chicago lost one of their top cornerbacks in Nahshon Wright to free agency, and there's always the possibility of them finding another diamond in the rough, especially with defensive backs coach Al Harris at the helm. Josh Moten would be a nice addition to the cornerbacks room. Moten has been an absolute ballhawk over the last two seasons, between Southern Miss and Marshall, totaling 10 interceptions and 16 pass breakups in that span. Moten would be a good fit for Dennis Allen's defense and would benefit from working with Harris, who turned Wright into a Pro Bowler last season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 7-round mock draft: Addressing Chicago's biggest needs
Continue reading...
General manager Ryan Poles had his best draft class last year, in head coach Ben Johnson's first season, landing future stars in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III and solid contributors in running back Kyle Monangai and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Now, the hope is Poles can replicate that success with this 2026 draft class.
It might be more difficult considering the array of position needs, which could impact Poles' best-available approach and make it more important to draft by need. But, in my latest seven-round mock draft, the Bears navigate that scenario by addressing needs and landing potential impact players to shore up the defense, find their center of the future and add some potential steals in the seventh round.
Round 1, Pick 25: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson
The Bears didn't address defensive tackle in a meaningful way in free agency rather adding depth pieces including Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch. They need to find another impact player along the interior to pair with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. This isn't a particularly deep defensive tackle class, so it feels like Chicago's best bet would be to address it with the 25th overall pick if someone like Peter Woods is still on the board. Woods was a projected top-10 pick before last season, but his stock has fallen after an underwhelming 2025 season. That could wind up playing right into Chicago's favor as they land a powerful and explosive athlete to develop in the trenches.
Round 2, Pick 57: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
Chicago lost both starting safeties from last season in Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. While they were able to land a top free-agent safety in Coby Bryant, there's still a starting job that must be filled in the draft. While the Bears could very well use their first pick on a safety, like Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, there are some other options in the second round that could also be impactful. A.J. Haulcy is a hard-hitting safety who would be the perfect fit in Dennis Allen's defense. Haulcy would be able to fill the ballhawking role left by Byard with his penchant for takeaways while shoring up a key need in the secondary.
Round 2, Pick 60: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas State
The Bears appeared to have found their center of the future in Drew Dalman before he shockingly retired after just five NFL seasons. Chicago quickly pivoted by trading for Garrett Bradbury, sending a 2027 fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots. And while Bradbury is the short-term fix, the Bears are back in the market for a long-term center. Chicago has shown interest in Sam Hecht, where they had several coaches and scouts in attendance at Kansas State's pro day. Last season, Hecht allowed zero sacks, zero QB hits, seven pressures and committed zero penalties in 759 snaps. Hecht has the potential to be a long-term starter at one of the most important positions in Ben Johnson's offense.
Round 3, Pick 89: LT Overton, EDGE, Alabama
Chicago needs to find a way to get pressure on the opposing quarterback, and drafting Peter Woods to bring interior pressure was a good start. As for bringing pressure off the edge, LT Overton would be a nice pairing opposite Montez Sweat in a group also featuring Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo. Bears general manager Ryan Poles was recently spotted at Alabama's pro day, where he was likely getting a look at several prospects, including Overton. He has impressive power and can play multiple positions along the defensive line, which could be beneficial as Chicago looks to shore up the interior.
Round 4, Pick 129 (via LAR): Taurean York, LB, Texas A&M
There were some big changes at linebacker for Chicago this offseason, including most notably the release of Tremaine Edmunds to free up salary cap space. The Bears signed Devin Bush to replace him, and they also re-signed D'Marco Jackson and brought back Jack Sanborn to fill out the room while T.J. Edwards recovers from his fractured fibula suffered back in January. Taurean York, a starter with the Aggies since his freshman year, is undersized at the position, which could allow him to fall to the fourth round and into the waiting arms of the Bears. York possesses the smarts and production, having played in the SEC, to develop into an impact player in the NFL.
Round 7, Pick 238 (via PHI): Kaden Wetjen, WR, Iowa
The Bears need to add wide receiver depth following the departures of DJ Moore via trade, Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay. While they did sign Kalif Raymond, reuniting him with Ben Johnson and providing a solid returner, Chicago needs a long-term answer at return specialist. The Bears could find a steal in Kaden Wetjen in the seventh round. He possesses impressive speed and is arguably the best return specialist in this draft class, where he would thrive as both a kick returner and punt returner from the moment he steps into the NFL. In the last two years, he had six return touchdowns, making him a potential dangerous weapon for Richard Hightower.
Round 7, Pick 240: Josh Moten, CB, Southern Miss
Chicago lost one of their top cornerbacks in Nahshon Wright to free agency, and there's always the possibility of them finding another diamond in the rough, especially with defensive backs coach Al Harris at the helm. Josh Moten would be a nice addition to the cornerbacks room. Moten has been an absolute ballhawk over the last two seasons, between Southern Miss and Marshall, totaling 10 interceptions and 16 pass breakups in that span. Moten would be a good fit for Dennis Allen's defense and would benefit from working with Harris, who turned Wright into a Pro Bowler last season.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 7-round mock draft: Addressing Chicago's biggest needs
Continue reading...
