With the NFL combine in full swing, the Chicago Bears are scouting incoming rookies who could help them contend next year. This three-round mock draft will give some early perspective on who the Bears could target in April. To preface, this mock draft was completed using the Pro Football Network Mock Draft Simulator using the current consensus big board.
Heading into the draft, Chicago controls their own first, second, third, fifth, and seventh round picks, and has additional picks in the fourth and seventh rounds. Heading into the draft, most of the Bears’ needs reside on the defensive side of the ball. Although free agency will play a large part in deciding what positions take priority in the draft, the most needed positions include defensive line, linebacker, safety, and offensive tackle
In round one at pick 25, the Bears select Caleb Banks, defensive tackle, Florida University. Banks may have one of the highest ceilings of any prospect in the 2025 class due to his world-class athleticism. Standing at 6’6, 327 lbs with 35 in arms, the Florida product checks nearly every box in terms of physical attributes. He also has a fast first step, high-end short-area quickness, and great power.
When Banks can use his long arms, size, and power, he can be a monster both as a pass rusher and run stopper. Still, he’s not a perfect prospect. Banks lacks consistency in his technique, which can hinder his effectiveness, especially as a pass rusher. He also dealt with a major foot injury throughout 2025 and 2026, but did come back to play later in Florida’s 2026 campaign. Foot injuries in larger frames can often linger, which is why this is a red flag.
Overall, Banks has nearly every physical and athletic attribute an NFL team would want in a defensive lineman. If Bears’ veteran defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can polish up Caleb Banks, he could become a foundational piece on Chicago’s defense. Although the injury history and technical inconsistencies are concerning, it would be hard for the Bears to pass up Banks at 25.
In the second round at pick 57, the Bears selected safety A.J. Haulcy from LSU. Haulcy would fill an immediate need for the Bears who, as of now, have no safeties under contract, although it is widely expected that they will retain all-pro Kevin Byard
Haulcy has a good frame, standing at 6 ‘0 and weighing 215 lbs, and also has demonstrated his speed at the combine, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash. He is a versatile player who can play both deep and closer to the line of scrimmage at a good but not great level.
Haulcy’s true super power are his instincts and ability to read the field, which allows him to make plays on the ball and react quickly. In total, he had twelve pass breakups and eight interceptions in his last two seasons at college. Although Haulcy doesn’t project as an NFL superstar, his quick instincts, athletic ability, and four years of college starting experience should make him a more than capable Jaquan Brisker replacement.
At pick 89 in the third round, the Bears take Gracen Halton, the defensive tackle out of Oklahoma. Halton is slightly undersized, weighing in at 293 lbs with 31 1/8 in arms, but still has an ideal height at 6’3.
He makes up for this with his strength, speed, and athleticism, which make him a versatile piece in pass-rush packages. At the combine, Halton ran a 4.83 40-yard dash, which highlights his high-end speed. He projects to be a good NFL run defender who can occasionally provide interior pass rush, but with shorter arms and a incostenitent pad level, Halton may struggle with double teams and powerful offensive linemen.
This mock draft projects the Bears to use their first three pick on defense, which may make the most sense given the lackluster results the 2025 Bears’ defense had. It is important to note that the Bears have a massive need at left tackle since their previous starter, and now a second-year player Ozzy Trapilo at that position tore his patellar tendon during the playoffs. Trapilo is expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2026 season, so Chicago will need to address the left tackle position this offseason. Ryan Poles, the Bears’ general manager, seems to still have faith that Trapilo will be the starter when he comes back, so it’s more likely the Bears will look for a veteran option instead of turning to the draft.
If left tackle is addressed through free agency, then the Bears will likely spend most of their premium 2026 draft picks on the defensive side of the ball. Caleb Banks and Gracen Halton both are still a little bit raw as prospect but both have high end altheitic traits, Banks especially, and have enough talent to play from day one.
Both interior defensive linemen would also serve as potential replacements for Gervon Dexter, who is in the last year of his contract and involved in trade rumors, and Grady Jarrett, who is likely to be released in 2027 if he doesn’t improve his play. A.J. Haulcy would project as a day one starter for the Bears, and would be a natural fit inside Dennis Allen’s system, which tends to favor intelligent and instinctual safeties.
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