Each day leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft — April 23-25 — TeamFB7 will break down a different team’s biggest draft need and the best selection to address it. Granted, teams will most often use their first-round pick on the best available player/value and not necessarily always their biggest need, so this isn’t going to compile together into a mock draft in the end. It’s more a breakdown of how each team could best address its most paramount priority if it chooses.
The Chicago Bears have gotten the two most important decisions of all exceptionally right.
They drafted the right quarterback in Caleb Williams and a year later hired the right head coach in Ben Johnson.
That alone puts Chicago in rare territory within the NFL, as some teams seemingly never get both of those decisions right at the same time (or either).
The Bears delivered their first winning season and NFC North title in seven years in going 11-6 in Johnson’s debut, while Williams took a sophomore leap in showing why he warranted the No. 1 pick in the draft two years ago.
The QB showed a calm-under-pressure penchant for late-game heroics time and again while leading the Bears to seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including a 31-27 win over the rival Packers in the wildcard round.
Williams passed for 3,942 yards, 27 touchdowns and 7 interceptions and rushed for 388 yards and 3 scores in the regular season and spliced together an incredible highlight reel in the process.
Now, the question is how the Bears build on it and whether they are truly ready to put themselves in the Super Bowl contender conversation.
Chicago holds the following picks in the 2026 NFL Draft this week: 1st round (25th overall), 2nd round (57th), 2nd round (60th), 3rd round (89th), 4th round (129th), 7th round (239th) and 7th round (241st).
The extra second-round pick came from the trade sending wide receiver DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick to the Bills. With three picks in the first two rounds, the Bears could finish what they started in free agency in addressing their biggest roster needs.
What Are Biggest Needs For Chicago Bears In 2026 NFL Draft?
The Bears are mostly set offensively.
They return four starting offensive linemen in left tackle Braxton Jones (limited to six games last year while recovering from 2024 fractured left ankle and subsequent knee injury), left guard Joe Thuney (four straight Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections, including his first season with the Bears in which PFF graded him 4th of 81 OGs), right guard Jonah Jackson (19th out of 81 OGs by PFF) and second-team All-Pro right tackle Darnell Wright (14th of 89 OTs by PFF).
Center Drew Dalman surprisingly retired last month at 27 years old and coming off his first Pro Bowl season to prioritize his health. The Bears pivoted quickly in trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Patriots for Garrett Bradbury, whom PFF ranked 30th out of 40 qualifying centers. It’s not an ideal tradeoff, but he’s been an NFL starter for seven years (six with the Vikings).
The real concern is Jones, who returns on a 1-year deal having played a full season just once in his four-year career. The Bears could consider drafting an offensive tackle to take over in 2027 and be available as needed, though 2025 second-rounder Ozzy Trapilo filled in solidly for Jones as a rookie last year.
Otherwise, Chicago is obviously set at quarterback, tight end with 2025 first-round breakout star Colston Loveland (58 catches for 713 yards and 6 TDs) and veteran Cole Kmet, running back with D’Andre Swift (1,087 rushing yards and 9 TDs) and Kyle Monangai (783-5) and the top of the receiver depth chart with talented young playmakers Rome Odunze (44-661-6 in 12 games) and Luther Burden III (47-652-2), who made Moore expendable while emerging as a rookie.
The Bears may want to add a Day 2-3 WR to fill out the depth chart with former Lions veteran Kalif Raymond the most notable wideout otherwise.
Bears’ Biggest Defensive Needs In NFL Draft
The Bears’ defense needs a few more pieces after ranking 29th in the NFL last season (361.8 YPG) and 23rd in points allowed (24.4 PPG).
The unit also lost some key pieces in free agency including linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (to the Bills), safeties Kevin Byard (Patriots), Jaquan Brisker (Steelers) and C.J. Gardner-Johnson (Bills), cornerback Nashon Wright (Jets) and defensive tackle Andrew Billings.
The Bears’ big free agent splashes were signing Coby Bryant away from the Super Bowl-champion Seahawks for 3 years, $40 million and former Browns linebacker Devin Bush for 3 years, $30 million. Former Colts defensive tackle Neville Gallimore (2 years, $10 million) and former Bills versatile defensive back Cam Lewis (2 years, $6 million) helped plug some of the holes.
Bush, coming off a career-high 125 tackles and 3 interceptions (2 returned for TDs), and T.J. Edwards (four straight seasons with at least 129 tackles before being limited to 10 games last year) form a solid duo at linebacker.
Gallimore (career-high 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 2025) provides support on the interior for Gervon Dexter Jr. (44 tackles, 6 sacks) and Grady Jarrett (39 tackles, 1.5 sacks). All graded up a little below average by PFF, but the Bears have their big bodies along the defensive line all the same.
At cornerback, Jaylon Johnson has been a starter for the team the last six years and Tyrique Stevenson for the last three years. Both missed significant time last season, but when healthy they’re a productive duo, while Kyler Gordon is an experienced CB/nickel to round out the top of the depth chart.
So here are the biggest remaining needs:
Edge Rusher: The Bears need a partner in chaos for Montez Sweat (53 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, 5 pass deflections) with Dayo Odeyingbo (1 sack in 8 games last year, career-high 8 in 2023 for Colts) and Austin Booker (4.5 sacks in 10 games in his second NFL season) the other notable EDGEs on the roster.
Safety: Signing Bryant away from Seattle after he totaled 7 INTs and averaged 69.5 tackles the last two seasons was a nice start to replacing the veterans lost to free agency. Fellow FA addition Lewis can play safety, corner or nickel and is probably best as a roving reserve for multiple spots. Elijah Hicks has played in 61 games with 15 starts in four seasons with the team and provides more depth. But targeting a safety near the top of the draft makes a lot of sense for Chicago.
Overall, we’d rank the Bears’ most pressing draft needs in order as S, EDGE, OT, WR.
Who Should Bears Draft In First Round?
There’s a better chance of getting premium value at safety than edge rusher at pick No. 25, but that’s very much in the eye of the beholder.
The Bears will be catching the back end of the second tier of edge rushers at that point, but there shouldn’t be more than two safeties off the board (Ohio State’s Caleb Downs possibly inside the top 10 or on the fringe and Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman an obvious fit for the Vikings at No. 18).
The Ringer’s Todd McShay actually projects the Bears taking Thieneman here, and that would be an excellent pick, but we’d bet against him getting to No. 25.
Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren would be a solid pick here for Chicago. (ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him going at No. 19 to the Panthers, but we disagree and think he’ll be on the board for the Bears).
He had 5 INTs, 8 forced fumbles and 207 tackles over his final three seasons at Toledo. At 6-foot-3, 201 pounds, he’s a big hitter and pairs that with plus instincts for the ball.
That’s our recommendation for Chicago.
If both Thieneman and McNeil-Warren are off the board at No. 25, the Bears should grab the top edge rusher left (Missouri’s Zion Young, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk or Clemson’s T.J. Parker perhaps) and then try to get Arizona safety Treydan Stukes in the second round. That would be a fine outcome as well.
