The Bears were surprisingly quiet attacking the defensive line with their approach to the 2026 NFL Draft, but they added an intriguing athlete at defensive tackle in Wake Forest’s Jayden Loving.
After starting off his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman, Loving spent 2023 and 2024 at Western Kentucky before transferring to Wake Forest for his final year of collegiate eligibility. He got on NFL radars for his ability to stop the run at every stop he went to.
Loving’s stock rose tremendously after dominating
at the Demon Deacons’ Pro Day, putting together 99th-percentile testing for the defensive tackle position. His athletic profile perfectly fits with the all-green athletic profile haul Chicago put together with their draft picks. Here’s my analysis of Loving as a prospect.
THE NUMBERS
- Height: 6’1”
- Weight: 309 pounds
- RAS: 9.93
- 2025 PFSN DT Impact Score: 78.7 (17th for ACC defensive tackles)
- 2025 tackles: 44
- 2025 tackles for a loss: 8.5
- 2025 sacks: 2.5
- 2025 pressures: 23
- List of accomplishments: 2025 honorable mention All-ACC
