2026 Bears draft: Evaluating prospects with confirmed top-30 visits

The 2026 NFL Draft is now just one day away from kicking off, and the Bears have surely been doing their due diligence in their evaluation process. Part of that process involves bringing in players for top-30 visits.

Last year, none of the Bears' confirmed top-30 visits ended up drafted by the team. That wasn't the case in 2024, when Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, and Kiran Amegadjie were all brought in and eventually selected by Chicago.

Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar elaborated in an interview with Terron Armstead that, the more concerns or questions the team has on a player, the more work you need to do on that player. That process involves bringing that player in for a top-30 visit.

According to our top-30 visit tracker curated by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr., there have been 15 confirmed visits announced through various media. I'm going to share my evaluations on every player who has been publicly verified as having a visit.

James Brockermeyer, C, Miami

The son of former Bears lineman Blake Brockermeyer, James Brockermeyer is an intelligent center with good zone-gap versatility in the run game. He processes well against exotic pass-rushing looks, and he picks up assignments well as a reach blocker or when climbing to the second level. He shows good agility as a pull blocker, and he's shown flashes in terms of his finishing ability. He's a bit smaller for an NFL lineman, and as a center-only prospect, his positional versatility might come into question. I have him as a Day 3 selection, which could be worth considering if Chicago waits at the position.

Jager Burton, C, Kentucky

Before you ask, his first name is pronounced jagger". Pretty cool. Jager Burton is a versatile interior lineman with 1,158 career reps at left guard, 976 at center, and 531 at right guard. His ability to play across the offensive line will help him see playing time early. He's an explosive lineman who fires well off the snap, taking precise angles on the move and rolling his hips through contact to seal off run defenders. He lands his trikes well, and he keeps his head on a swivel in pass protection. Burton will need to improve his pad level and balance in the pros to become a long-term starter, but I could see him sneaking into Round 3 because of his center-guard flexibility.

Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State

Naturally a right tackle at Arizona State, Max Iheanachor has risen into first-round consideration thanks to his freakish physical attributes. The 6'6", 321-pound tackle didn't play any high school football, and that inexperience can show in his high pad level and inconsistent hand placement. That said, he moves very smoothly for such a big man, and his combination of above-average length, raw power, explosiveness, and agility make him very enticing as a long-term prospect. I have Iheanachor as a Round 2 prospect, but the Bears would likely have to take him in Round 1, if he's available at No. 25.

Mikail Kamara, DE, Indiana

A three-year impact player for Curt Cignetti's defenses at James Madison and Indiana, Mikail Kamara ironically had the worst statistical year of those three seasons in 2025. Though he had two sacks this past year, he had 10 sacks in 2024 and was a third-team All-American. He was also named defensive MVP of the Hoosiers' national title win this season. He tested with below-average size, length, and speed at his Pro Day, too. Kamara is probably an undrafted free agent at this point, but he's a relentless edge rusher with a high motor and a diverse pass-rushing arsenal worth looking at.

Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah

The fit with Caleb Lomu in Ben Johnson's offense is simple enough: he's a natural left tackle and an elite athlete along the offensive line. It's more than that, though; he lands his strikes well in pass protection and does a good job of knocking edge rushers off the top of their arc. He's mobile in space and changes direction well, both in his kickslide as a pass blocker and when climbing the ladder as a run blocker. Lomu's spatial awareness in the run game is also a strength of his, and his raw power improved quite a bit in 2025. His pad level still needs a bit of work, but he has long-term starting upside at left tackle.

Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State

With a selection rate of 22.1%, Kayden McDonald is the most-selected player for the Bears at No. 25 in the PFSN NFL Mock Draft Simulator. For a Bears team that allowed the fourth-most rushing yards per carry in 2025, that makes sense. McDonald is a massive space-eater at 6'2" and 326 pounds. He's a physical nose tackle with a strong anchor to take on double-teams and good hand usage to stack and shed blocks in the run game. He keeps his pads low and his weight underneath him, fully maximizing every bit of raw power he has, and his short-area quickness isn't bad for his size. McDonald is heavier and less explosive on passing downs than the typical Dennis Allen defensive tackle, but if Chicago wants to buck that trend with a dominant run defender, he's the guy to do it with.

Seth McGowan, RB, Kentucky

The concerns" aspect of the top-30 visit with Seth McGowan are clear; he was arrested for robbery after his 2020 season at Oklahoma, spending both 2021 and 2022 unable to play college football. He's since rebounded with strong seasons at Butler Community College, New Mexico State, and most recently, Kentucky. He's a big-bodied running back who's tough in between the tackles and processes well out of the backfield. His ball-carrier vision helps him stay patient out of the backfield and hit the hole hard once he identifies it. McGowan won't wow you with his speed, agility, or receiving value, but he should be under consideration inRound 6 or 7.

Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State

Domonique Orange fits a similar mold to McDonald as a traditional nose tackle. The 6'2", 322-pounder is stout against the run and does a great job of keeping his pads low to obtain leverage at the point of attack. Though he's shorter, he has impressive length and large hands for a defensive tackle. He has powerful hands with great grip strength, and his burst off the snap is better than most his size. Big Citrus lacks in high-end agility and a refined pass-rushing plan, but if you're fine with getting a dominant run-stuffer without much expectation of him being more than that, he's worth the investment on Day 2.

Brian Parker II, OL, Duke

Brian Parker II ranked No. 7 among offensive tackles in PFSN OL Impact Scoring in 2025 at 90.8, but due heavily to his arms coming in beneath 33 inches long, I have him kicking inside, particularly at center. His pad level, hand placement, football IQ, and body control are all NFL-ready traits in his game, which all provide for a seamless transition to center. He won't jump off the screen with elite athleticism or undeniable nastiness, but Parker is a technically-sound player who should get the job done along the interior in the league.

Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest

Arguably the least-known on a national stage of the bunch, Karon Prunty was a freshman standout at Kansas in 2020 but left the program, sat out 2021, then went to North Carolina A&T to start for three seasons. He excelled at Wake Forest in 2025, and he has the physical attributes that Dennis Allen likes at cornerback. He's a taller cornerback at 6'2" with impressive deep speed and good fluidity for his size, even if he's a little on the skinnier side and could stand to improve his play strength. Prunty might not be an early-round pick or anything, but he could sneak into the draft as a late-round selection.

Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan(local pro day)

A breakout star in 2025 for Michigan in a rocky season, Jimmy Rolder is an Orland Park native who went to Marist for high school. He's a true thumper of a linebacker; he's a little rough around the edges as a processor in coverage, which one might expect for a one-year starter. That said, he's a hard hitter with a thick frame, good closing speed in pursuit, and the physicality needed to take blocks head-on and disrupt run plays closer to the line of scrimmage. I like Rolder as an impact special teamer early in his career in Round 5 or 6, neither of which the Bears have selections in, but that could obviously change as the weekend progresses.

Keionte Scott, DB, Miami

Whether it be as a slot cornerback or a safety, I think Keionte Scott has a lot of the tools to be a seamless fit in Chicago's defense. His versatility to play all over the defensive back seven speaks to how high his football IQ is, as he processes well in coverage from multiple alignments. He's a relentless downhill tackler, and while his form could improve, he takes good angles in pursuit and has rare backfield penetration skills for a DB with five sacks and 13 tackles for a loss in 2025. Scott processes well in both man and zone coverage, and he has high-level speed at his position. He's an older prospect, but he's one who should start quickly in the NFL.

De'Zhaun Stribling, WR, Ole Miss

Any wide receiver who's 6'2" and can run a 4.36 in the 40-yard dash is going to generate plenty of interest from NFL teams. That's the case with De'Zhaun Stribling, who parlayed a strong playoff run with Ole Miss into becoming one of the hotter receiver prospects over the last month or two. He's an explosive weapon down the field with great long speed, and he has ideal body control attacking the ball in the air. He'll also wow coaches with ideal physicality and mentality as a blocker at wide receiver. Stribling doesn't have the sharpest cuts as a route runner due to his high center of gravity, but he projects well as a third- or fourth-round pick who has WR3 potential.

Anterio Thompson, DT, Washington

Anterio Thompson dominated his Pro Day, tallying an insane 4.75 40-yard dash with a 1.74 10-yard split, 30 bench press reps, and a 4.38 20-yard shuttle at 6'2" and 306 pounds. He's a bit shorter but has impressive length and big hands for his position. His testing athleticism shows up on tape, where you see rare first-step acceleration and good agility for his size. Thompson can also push the pocket with power, due to his combination of ideal pad level and lower-body strength. As a pass rusher, Thompson is very one-dimensional and relies on his raw tools to much. He also spent every season in college at a new school, and he only had 2.5 sacks in his three years at the FBS level. Though raw, the physical tools are impressive.

Zion Young, DE, Missouri

Similar to McGowan, Zion Young's concerns" are pretty clear to pinpoint, seeing as though he had a DWI in 2025. It makes sense to bring him in to do their due diligence, because he's a prototypical fit for what Chicago wants in a defensive end. He's a big, long, physical edge rusher who can set the edge very well and work off of blocks to clean up plays as a pass rusher. Young's arsenal on passing downs runs deep, and he blends his approach with quick hands and the ability to convert speed to power. He's not a very flexible edge defender who can bend and turn the corner to create pressure, but he's a linear athlete with decent enough short-area burst on tape. It's his physicality, size, and football IQ that make him a strong fir for the Bears.