April is here, which means the 2026 NFL Draft is right around the corner. Less than two weeks away, to be exact. For the Chicago Bears, a critical period awaits after losing multiple key contributors in free agency. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will be tasked with finding multiple Day 1 starters, on top of an older class that needs to develop long-term. It’s a tall task for any team, but for a team like the Bears, who entered their competitive window last season, finding immediate
contributors at positions of need will be of the utmost importance.
With the table set, let’s dive into my third of four mock drafts and see how I fill out the Bears roster as we inch closer to the start of a new season.
Round 1 (#31) DE Malachi Lawrence (UCF)
Trade: #25 to Patriots for #31 & #95
The Patriots trade up for a receiver, and the Bears can pick up a late third in the process. Last mock, I had them trading down with the Chiefs, but I wanted to keep things different, so they’ll move down a few more spots this go around and pick up a higher pick in the process.
Now onto the pick: Is this a reach? Probably. That said, every year we see guys projected as mid-second round picks go late in the first round. With Lawrence, he’s got the physical traits, quick first step, and on-field traits that could both meet Dennis Allen’s needs as a defensive end, while also bringing a higher ceiling than players like Zion Young or T.J. Parker. Do I love the pick? Absolutely not, but if No. 25 is a tough spot, No. 31 is even tougher. Go out and get the traits guy that has shown enough on the field to warrant a first-round selection on the edge.
Round 2 (#60) S Treydan Stukes (Arizona)
Via Buffalo Bills For WR DJ Moore
Although Stukes is on the older side (welcome to the new NFL Draft), he’s a high-character player with cornerback traits that should translate well into a positional move to safety. Athleticism is a big focus when it comes to the secondary, and if there’s one area where Bears fans should feel confident in Allen’s evaluations, this would be it. While some names have played the position like AJ Haulcy, Kamari Ramsey, etc., don’t be surprised to see someone who played cornerback move to safety. Physicality, speed, and versatility will be the focus here.
Round 2 (#62) DT Gracen Halton (Oklahoma)
Trade: #57 to Broncos for #62, #170 and a 2027 4th Round Pick
One inherent risk of rebuilding the defense almost entirely through the draft is that not every pick will hit. Thus, trading back and acquiring more bites at the apple is what the front office will need to do. After a trade-back in the first round, the Bears are back at it with another trade down with their second pick of the draft. This won’t be a move that sends them down too far, but it does help add another fifth-round pick and recoup a fourth-rounder for next year. With Halton, he’s a player who should fit Allen’s scheme like a glove. There aren’t too many defensive tackles that fit the bill, and while this might be viewed as a little “too soon” for Halton, he should make an immediate impact as a rotational three-technique.
Round 3 (#89) WR De’Zhaun Stribling (Ole Miss)
Call it a gut feeling, but for as many defensive needs as the Bears have, it’s hard to imagine we’ll get too far into the draft before Ben Johnson gets one of “his guys”. The receiver position might not be an immediate need, but after trading Moore, the depth behind the team’s Top 2 on the depth chart needs improvement. Stribling is a player who might never become a well-rounded receiver, but he’s in the mold of a player like Jamison Williams and brings a speed element that they don’t currently possess. There will be multiple good options starting around this point in the draft, and I’d fully expect Johnson to get his pick at some point late in Day 2 or early Day 3.
Round 3 (#95) iOL/C Brian Parker II (Duke)
Via New England Patriots
Thanks to their first-round trade down, the Bears pick up a much-needed additional third-round selection. Following Drew Dalman’s surprising retirement, the center position is a huge question mark moving forward. Although Johnson has said that veteran Garrett Bradbury is exactly the replacement they were looking for, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and has rarely been a league-average center. Parker is converting from tackle, but many believe his best position at the NFL level will be at center. They should have plenty of options here, but they might as well bet on upside since they have some time to develop their long-term solution.
Round 4 (#129) CB Tacario Davis (Florida)
Heading into free agency, the expectation was that Nahshon Wright would get a lucrative contract elsewhere. In the end, Wright did leave, but it was for a modest one-year deal. No matter the context, the team has a need, even if it’s just to provide some upside depth behind Tyrique Stevenson. Davis fits the exact mold that Allen typically covets in cornerbacks, and he would provide immediate competition for Stevenson, while also giving them more upside with unproven players on the depth chart like Terrel Smith and Zah Frazier. Some might not view cornerback as an immediate need. Still, considering their poor health last season and Stevenson heading into the final year of his four-year rookie deal, this is a sneaky need that could surface sooner than next season.
Round 5 (#170) LB Jimmy Rolder (Michigan)
Since the departure of Roquan Smith, the linebacker position has seen two well-paid players, but their production has never really matched. Tremaine Edmunds is gone, and there’s no sense in relying on T.J. Edwards in 2026. Even with the free agent addition of Devin Bush and Chicago bringing back D’Marco Jackson, they could use some additional youth, and more importantly, upside at the position. Rolder is someone who is just scratching the surface of what he can do, and with a year to sit back and develop, he could be ready to take over a starting spot in 2027.
Round 7 (#239) RB Seth McGowan (Kentucky)
For a second straight season, Roschon Johnson proved that he’s not reliable when it comes to his lack of availability. Even if the Bears are “happy” with their current one-two punch, D’Andre Swift is in the final year of his three-year deal, and Kyle Monangai appeared to bog down a bit down the stretch. While I still have my doubts about McGowan staying on the Bears’ board due to prior character concerns during his time at Oklahoma, projecting the final rounds of the draft can be tricky. McGowan, like many players in this class, is on the older side, but the mileage isn’t super high considering his path back to a Power Five team following his dismissal from Oklahoma.
Round 7 (#241) TE Josh Cuavas (Alabama)
Again, I’m not going to sit here and pretend like Cuavas is someone who will for sure be around this late, but I do believe that the Bears need another option at tight end. In an ideal world, they’d add a blocker, but Cuavas has some upside as a pass-catcher, and with Cole Kmet’s contract still untouched, it’s worth wondering what his future holds beyond 2026. This won’t stop them from adding a proven blocker through the second wave of free agency, but this provides a little more upside in the back half of this room.
What are your thoughts on this mock haul for the Bears?
