Nobody wins the offseason, supposedly, but let’s be honest. The NFL is won and lost twelve months out of each year. Here are some premature winners and losers from the 2026 Draft, both for Chicago and beyond.
Winner: The new draft format
Giving teams less time to deal and to make selections did not negatively impact the trade market and it kept things moving smoothly. At one point, picks seemed to be flying in. This required a little more concision by the hosts, which was not a problem at all. In short,
it was nice that they kept things short.
Loser: The Mock Draft Industrial Complex
The experts try, they really do. And they will continue to make money by trying. However, this year was pretty out of alignment with their predictions. Besides the typical stumbles when players fell due to injury, there were unexpected “reaches” and disappointing stumbles. This year is the year fans should point to when some know-it-all friend tells them “there’s no way that player is going to be there at such-and-such place” or “there’s no way that guy is getting drafted that highly.”
Winner: The Power 2
Regardless of where you stand on SEC vs Big Ten, it’s obvious that these two conferences once more enjoyed the majority of the talent. The SEC set a record with 87 players drafted (ahead of the 68 players drafted from the Big Ten)–but the Big Ten led the way with ten first-round selections (compared to 7 from the SEC). Three-fifths of all players drafted came from one of these two conferences, as did just over half of the first-rounders. Only three players taken in the first round were outside of the Power 4.
Loser: Measurements and Numbers
Carnell Tate ran a 4.53 and was the first receiver taken. Spencer Fano had arms shorter than Francis Mauigoa (and shy of the magic “33”) yet he was the first offensive lineman taken. Ty Simpson is barely 210 and went in the top half of the first round. So did Rueben Bain, who apparently has Tyrannosaurus rex DNA according to some. Akheem Mesidor is too old according to his birth certificate but not according to the LA Chargers. This year saw the tape beating the tape measure.
Winner: Big Pharma
There are more than two hundred blood pressure medications and several dozen anti-anxiety medications approved in the United States. With Chicago’s defense receiving relatively minimal investment in the offseason–especially in the draft–it seems likely that Bears fans are going to help keep that industry afloat. The Cardiac Bears are likely to continue to require heroics from the offense, at least unless the coaching staff knows something important that fans are missing.
Loser: Bears’ Passing Records
Of course, in order to stay in those games, Caleb Williams is going to need to take advantage of yet another surge of high-end investments on offense. That suggests that some of the ancient records this team has carried for so long in the passing game are going to need to fall if the Bears are going to stay competitive in 2026.
Winner: The Old Guard on the Defensive Line
Barring a truly breakout performance from an undrafted free agent or a last-minute vet signing, nobody appears to be about to take snaps away from Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, or Dayo Odeyingbo. Gervon Dexter’s role seems entrenched, as does Grady Jarrett’s. Whatever Shemar Turner does, he’s going to get plenty of chances to do it. This draft class was remarkably barren of people who might threaten their job security.
Loser: Clarity on the Poles-Johnson Era
For his entire tenure with the Chicago Bears, Ryan Poles has had a history of taking intelligent risks and making equally questionable gambles. Trading for Chase Claypool was a blunder but trading for Montez Sweat acquired the team’s sack leader, for example. Usually, his Day One picks have been good to excellent, his Day Two picks have included some headscratchers, and his Day Three picks have been decent at finding depth and even starters, even if the fourth round picks (Tyler Scott, Roschon Johnson, Tory Taylor, and Ruben Hyppolite II) have been blunders. That does not seem to have changed now that Matt Eberflus is gone and Ben Johnson is fully integrated into the process. Fans can only hope that the positive momentum from 2025 continues and proves doubters wrong.
