The Chicago Bears went from 12 wins combined in 2023 and 2024 to 11-6 in 2025 thanks to Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams. Now, the franchise looks to improve on its Divisional Round exit, starting with pick No. 25 in the 2026 NFL Draft. With a look at who they might pick, here is a Bears 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup.
Johnson and Williams took the worst offense in the league last season and made it a top-six unit. However, the defense ranked 29th in yards and 23rd in points, so it shouldn’t be a surprise which side of the ball this draft may focus on.
Breaking down the defensive numbers further, the team was 27th against the run, 22nd against the pass, and 22nd in sacks. They were No. 1 in turnover percentage, though, which is nice, but not something that generally sticks year to year.
Which defender can help Chicago’s D get their squad to the next level? Let’s take a look at the Bears' 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup and find out.
DT Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
Tim Crean, ClutchPoints; Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN; Richard Janvrin, FantasyPros
Along with ranking low as a unit, the Bears' defensive line did not hold up well under scrutiny this season, finishing 26th in PFF’s final postseason DL rankings. Specifically, defensive tackles Chris Williams, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and Andrew Billings finished 63rd, 75th, 77th, and 123rd, respectively, out of 129 eligible DTs.
If Kayden McDonald is available at 25, the Bears should pounce on the best run-stuffing DT in the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 326-pound behemoth was a pillar of the excellent Ohio State defense in 2025, racking up 65 tackles, 9.0 tackles for a loss, 3.0 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Rebuilding the defensive line from the inside out should be a priority for the Bears this offseason, and McDonald is a perfect way to do that.
DT Caleb Banks, Florida
Ayrton Ostly, USA Today; Dalton Wasserman, PFF; Mark Schofield and James Dator, SB Nation
With the same building philosophy in mind but with a different player at the center of it, several pundits in this Bears 2026 NFL Mock Draft roundup have the team taking Florida DT Caleb Banks as a preference over McDonald or because he is already gone in their mocks.
Banks is even bigger than McDonald—believe it or not—at 6-foot-6, 330 pounds. However, a foot injury limited him to just three games for the Gators in his senior season. That means the production has just not been there yet, even though he did have an excellent junior campaign with 21 tackles, 7.0 tackles for a loss, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Overall, Banks is much more raw than McDonald, but at his size and with the athleticism he possesses, the upside is probably greater. Still, the foot injury is a concern for a man his size, and Ryan Poles will have to weigh all the risks here with the potential upside.
S Dillon Theineman, Oregon
The defensive line certainly wasn’t the Bears' only issue this season. The secondary left much to be desired as well, and with safeties Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Jonathan Owens, and Jaylon Jones all free agents this offseason, picking one in the draft seems like a necessity.
Oregon’s Dillon Theineman is a good all-around safety who can play in a two-high look or come downhill to stop the run. He is smart and athletic enough t lay in multiple systems and take on multiple responsibilities.
Theineman is not an elite athlete, though, like recent safety success stories Kyle Hamilton and Nick Emmanwori, but late in the first round, he is probably worth the pick.
EDGE Zion Young, Missouri
Almost every team in the NFL could use an elite pass rusher in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Bears would set themselves up nicely with a young, dynamic player opposite Montez Sweat. The question is, can Zion Young be that guy?
Young is well-built at 6-foot-5, 262 pounds and produced at a high level this past season with 16.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks. Those sack numbers need to come up, but it may be hard at the next level as Young is not a twitchy, elite athlete.
The other issue with Young is that he has some character concerns as well. He started a fight in the tunnel at Michigan State as a freshman and pled guilty to misdemeanor assault, and he was also arrested last season on a DWI charge.
