2026 Bears mock draft: 7-round predictions after playoff loss

The Bears' 2025-26 season came to an end on Sunday, as their 20-17 overtime loss to the Rams in the Divisional Round eliminated them from the playoffs. It was an entertaining season from start to finish, and though expectations were surpassed in Ben Johnson's first year as the team's head coach, it's still painful to feel the NFC Championship appearance right in your fingertips.

With the loss, the Bears have now solidified their positioning with the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Going into offseason mode, they have a lot of questions they need to answer, starting with which of their own veterans with expiring contracts they'd like to retain.

The obvious need for Chicago heading into 2026 is their defensive line. Luckily for them, this year's class figures to be pretty loaded up front. You can check out my full prospect rankings for the 2026 NFL Draft over on my Patreon - my big board is currently over 370 players deep, though I'm a little salty I fell short of 400 with underclassmen choosing to stay in school.

At the end of their season, here's where the Bears are currently slated to pick:

• Round 1: No. 25
• Round 2: No. 57
• Round 3: No. 89
• Round 4: No. 129 (via Rams, still not solidified)
• Round 5: No. 163
• Round 7: No. 239 (from Eagles via Browns)
• Round 7: No. 241

There are a lot of great mock draft simulators out there, and as a PFSN staff writer, I'm biased towards the draft simulator they have on their site. That said, I've also been using NFL Mock Draft Database as a resource for a long time (especially their consensus boards), so for this mock, I wanted to give them a shoutout and use their draft simulator to make every other team's picks around me.

Without further ado, here is my first 2026 Bears mock draft of the offseason.

TRADE

Titans receive: No. 57 overall, WR DJ Moore

Bears receive: DT Jeffery Simmons

Let's face it: the Bears need to aggressively attack the defensive line this offseason.

Their four-man pass rush was abysmal for much of 2025, often being forced to rely on nickel and safer blitzes to generate any form of pressure. Montez Sweat had a solid season but didn't live up to his hefty contract from a down-by-down consistency perspective. Austin Booker showed flashes but also lacked reliability. Dayo Odeyingbo was a total non-factor before he went down for the season.

Then, there's the interior. Gervon Dexter was the only interior defender who performed at a solid level rushing the passer. Grady Jarrett, like his fellow pricy free agent signing Odeyingbo, was a non-factor. Andrew Billings has never been known as a pass-rushing defensive tackle, and Shemar Turner got hurt early in the season.

I could see the Bears making a trade for a big-name veteran defensive lineman. I've seen Maxx Crosby floated around as a potential target, and he's an elite edge rusher who would be worth parting with premier draft capital for. That said, in this mock draft, my trade target of choice is Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons, who would be cheaper to trade for than Crosby and would still provide elite value for Chicago's defensive line.

Jeffery Simmons among IDL this season:

90.9 pass rush grade (1st)
19.3% pass rush win rate (1st)
9.0 sacks (1st) pic.twitter.com/JLupdMmcpw

- PFF (@PFF) December 25, 2025

Simmons has been one of the best interior defenders in the NFL but arguably gets under-appreciated on some lackluster Titans teams. He was a first-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler in 2025, leading all defensive tackles with 11 sacks. He's not only a splash player; he's a consistent pass-rushing force who generates pressures up the middle and disrupts plays up front. Simmons also had the 12th-highest run stop rate in the league among defensive tackles at 9.6% this year, too.

To provide value to Tennessee to part with a star, I have the Bears sending over a second-round pick and DJ Moore. From Chicago's perspective, Moore isn't contributing to the level of salary they're paying him. He's still a good receiver who made multiple clutch grabs down the stretch this season, but he's nowhere near as consistent as he was earlier in his career, and his route-running effort is poor.

That said, Moore would be of value to the Titans. For one, they'd only be on the hook for $16.5 million of his cap hit, as opposed to his full $28.5 million. Moore's current level of production becomes much more palatable when you shave that much cap hit off his salary. Two, he's a much better option at receiver than most free agents the Titans could sign this offseason at a similar price. Save for George Pickens and maybe Alec Pierce, Moore would be a more reliable contributor to a Tennessee offense that needs some firepower for young quarterback Cam Ward.

Financially, the Bears would free up a little under $1 million in cap space by trading Moore and acquiring Simmons. They'd have to restructure some contracts or make some cuts to free up more money, but as the same goes: the cap isn't real. They could easily do it if they wanted to.

Round 1: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson

At No. 25, I think T.J. Parker would be tremendous value for the Bears. He's a sturdy, powerful edge rusher who can push the pocket with speed-to-power well, with a sharp understanding of how to string moves together to create pressure on passing downs. He also has the anchor strength needed to set the edge in the run game; his sack production fell in 2025, but his tape has been great his whole time at Clemson.

In this scenario, the Bears' defensive line would consist of Montez Sweat and T.J. Parker off the edge, with Jeffery Simmons and Gervon Dexter rushing up the middle. Factor in Austin Booker as key depth and Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett as bounce-back candidates with smaller roles, and you have an upgraded unit up front.

Clemson EDGE T.J. Parker (Rd 1-2):

+ Stout 265-pound frame
+ 21.5 sacks, 75 pressures in 3 years
+ Short-area burst
+ Speed to power
+ Relentless motor
+ Deep pass-rushing arsenal
+ Sets the edge well
- Bend
- Average long speed
- Ankle flexion
pic.twitter.com/xfEc4tyy0q

- Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) January 7, 2026

Round 3: Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State

Penn State has had some hard-hitting safeties over the years: Adrian Amos, Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Winston Jr., and Jaylen Reed all come to mind. Zakee Wheatley is next up in that lineage. He's a big, physical defensive back who delivers some nice pop in his pads as a downhill tackler. He takes precise angles in pursuit as a run defender, as well. Despite the obvious appeal as a tackler, Wheatley is also an intelligent defensive back who can pick up assignments in two-high zone shells and pick up on route concepts well in coverage.

It's the aforementioned Brisker whom Wheatley would likely replace in this scenario. I expect Brisker to get solid money in the open market this offseason, but I don't think the Bears re-sign both him and Kevin Byard. Given Byard's All-Pro season and Brisker's injury history, the former feels safer to extend. Wheatley's physical nature would make him a reliable strong safety complement to Byard's free-range nature.

Penn State S Zakee Wheatley (Rd 2-3):

+ 6'2", 202 lbs
+ Red-hot motor
+ Route recognition
+ Angles and physicality in pursuit
+ Longitudinal agility out of backpedal
+ Ball-tracking skills
- Average range in single-high
- Sudden cuts in man coveragepic.twitter.com/Vc9nmXiytg

- Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) December 12, 2025

Round 4: J.C. Davis, OT, Illinois

I think there's an argument for J.C. Davis to play either tackle or guard in the NFL. He dominated at New Mexico early in his career and has since gone on to excel at Illinois. He's a powerful lineman with powerful hands and good weight distribution through his pads and lower-half flexibility, and he's a mean run blocker who can generate push off the line of scrimmage. Though Davis won't wow you with his athleticism on tape, he's a nasty SOB who can lock up defenders at the point of contact.

Of the collegiate tackles on my board, whether I have them staying there or kicking inside, Davis is the sixth-best zone-run blocker by PFF grading. Four of them - Brian Parker II, Austin Barber, Gennings Dunker, and Carter Smith - all feel like long shots to fall this far. Davis' versatility and fit in a run scheme similar to what Chicago runs should make him a good fit in this slot.

Illinois OL JC Davis began a 6-4, 333lb two-star JUCO (Contra Costa College)

1st Team All-Mountain West; 24 starts @ New Mexico

25 LT starts @ Illinois

Can play OT & OG in the NFL
Strong anchor & grip; redirects defenders in the run game
Nasty in a phone booth

... https://t.co/PKgzLZ7Khtpic.twitter.com/QPXiwFYWoG

- Clint Goss (@NFLDraftDome) December 22, 2025

Round 5: Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

If you're looking for a player who could run in the 4.2s at the 2026 NFL Combine, Brenen Thompson is your guy. He's a small receiver at 5'9" and 170 pounds, and his career drop rate of 8.7% is pretty average. That said, his deep speed on vertical route concepts is out of this world, and he's an extremely shifty receiver with tremendous lateral explosion out of his breaks. That helps him after the catch, but it also shows as a route runner, as his athleticism and low center of gravity can see him create separation often.

The Bears don't have a massive need at wide receiver, but it could make sense for them to make some investment there this offseason. In this hypothetical, they're trading away DJ Moore, and both Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay have expiring contracts. I think they bring at least one of the two back on a one-year deal, but either way, it wouldn't hurt to add some more speed to the offense.

My early pick for fastest 40-yard dash at the Combine?

Brenen Thompson (WR, Miss State)

10.18 100-meters in HS. He is dusting CBs on his 2025 tape. Led the P4 w/ 5 catches of 50+ yards (might've had double that w/ better throws). pic.twitter.com/tBYkRp8nmM

- Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 14, 2026

Round 7: Gary Smith III, DT, UCLA

If the Bears don't bring back Andrew Billings this offseason, I'd love Gary Smith III as a replacement. He's a gigantic defensive tackle who can win as a 3-tech, but he'll obviously get a lot of nose tackle looks with his 340-pound frame. He's a stout, space-eating run defender with a low center of gravity and good spatial awareness, letting him understand when a runner's coming up his gap and knowing when and how to stack and shed to free up his hands for the tackle.

Gary Smith III (6'2, 340) has great lateral quickness and a knack for winning quickly with leverage against taller linemen. His push-pull and swim move have shown up several times on film. He's also shown great effort in running down plays near the sideline. pic.twitter.com/zboVBbyA9v

- Jack Guiley (@guiley_jack) October 27, 2025

Round 7: Kaleb Elarms-Orr, LB, TCU

Kaleb Elarms-Orr would be strong linebacker depth for the Bears and a potential special teams contributor. He's a reliable form tackler who plays with a high motor in pursuit, chasing down ball carriers and battling through contact to bring them down. He hits hard and has good instincts in blitz assignments, as a run-defending WILL linebacker, and dropping back in zone coverage. He has a torn ACL to his name, and he lacks in elite size and speed. That said, he's a smart player who could outdo his draft positioning in the right system.

'

Kaleb Elarms-Orr is the only Power Four linebacker to post an 85.0-plus grade as a run defender & tackler with a 75.0-plus grade in coverage pic.twitter.com/sGKaCNvAyU

- TCU Football (@TCUFootball) November 12, 2025