The Bears’ plans for the 2026 NFL Draft might have just gotten very interesting, and it’s not just about whom they might use their upcoming selections on.
Sources from the New York Giants camp have begun reporting that All-Pro defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence wants out of New York, period, as the team seems unwilling to meet the pay increase Lawrence wants. The 28-year-old defensive tackle reportedly has sparked “very little interest” on the open market, according to Paul Schwartz of the New York Post,
who suggests teams are balking at the top-of-market contract Lawrence is seeking after a down 2025 campaign.
That does not, however, mean no one is sniffing around and planning to make a move, especially if they can do so at a discount. And as it happens, the Chicago Bears are well-primed to make that happen, if they want to.
Though Chicago would have to make at least one financial move to fit Lawrence’s contract, they have the draft capital ammo to pull it off, thanks to that additional second-rounder they grabbed from the Buffalo Bills in the DJ Moore trade. And there’s no doubt that Lawrence would change the game for the Bears up front far more than any player they could draft in the immediate, assuming (as I am here) that Lawrence’s decline had more to do with double teams and disengagement last year than him simply not being a good player anymore.
So, I ran it through the ol’ PFF Mock Draft simulator and swung a deal that, in my opinion, would be worth it: Lawrence for pick No. 57 and a 2027 fourth-round pick.
Doing that could change everything for the Bears, arguably taking the need for early defensive players off the board entirely and creating a true best-player-available situation.
Which led me to this mock:
Round 1 (Pick No. 25): Max Iheanachor, T (Arizona State)
Round 2 (Pick No. 60): Connor Lew, C (Auburn)
Round 3 (Pick No. 89): Zakee Wheatley, S (Penn State)
Round 4 (Pick No. 129): Bryce Boettcher, LB (Oregon)
Round 7 (Pick No. 239): Lewis Bond, WR (Boston College)
Round 7 (Pick No. 241): Noah Whittington, RB (Oregon)
Obviously, there could probably be some trades made to acquire more late picks, but I’m too lazy to forecast all that right now. So let’s focus on the big stuff.
I’m maintaining that none of the left tackle options the Bears have on the roster right now are “the guy” for the future, and only Braxton Jones has a contract that would be even remotely onerous to cut. (Neither Jedrick Wills nor Theo Benedet would include any dead money in that situation.) And Caleb Williams’ health is too important not to invest in long-term, so I have the Bears going for arguably the most important position they have left to fill, nabbing the highly talented Iheanachor to lock down the left tackle spot. Between him and Darnell Wright, that’s a young core you could rock with for a bit.
And that’s not all when it comes to the offensive line. Garrett Bradbury is in a similar situation as it pertains to cut-ability. While the Bears clearly seem to like him, he’s replacement-level, and he probably won’t be here past next year anyway. So why not see if you can replace him sooner rather than later? Grabbing Lew now and seeing if he can outduel Bradbury from the jump could work, especially if you put him between Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. You have to be prepared to rebuild the offensive line as you go, especially once Williams and those tackles start getting paid. This would be a solid first two picks toward doing that.
The Wheatley pick needs no explaining: the first defensive guy on this draft list (aside from the Lawrence acquisition, of course) could be a plug-and-play replacement for Jaquan Brisker and a solid young piece next to Coby Bryant.
Then, you get a solid, mid-round linebacker in Boettcher, who’s smart and athletic enough to see the field early and bring a shot of youth to a position in need of an overhaul (and depth) after a wave of injuries. With Lawrence and Gervon Dexter in front of him, he should have plenty of room to roam and make plays.
Last but not least: you think Ben Johnson’s leaving this draft without playmakers? (Honestly, I think wide receiver could be a sneaky position the Bears could target on Day 2.) The Bears can still use insurance in the slot after the loss of DJ Moore, and Bond is a reliable pass-catcher who plays faster than his timed speed. Whittington, on the other hand, can fly, and he would bring a noticeable amount of juice to a running back group that, at times, lacked true home-run hitting ability last season.
As you can see, this looks nothing like the kind of mock you’d expect without a Lawrence trade, which almost would demand a defensive tackle or end in order to compensate for the lack of difference-makers up front. But that’s the beauty of making that deal: this one player alters the entire roster through his mere presence. That’s why the Bears need to do it. Because if they do, they can accomplish the elusive goals of making themselves immediate Super Bowl contenders and set themselves up to retool at other key positions.
