This year’s 2026 NFL draft is a deep defensive class with elite edge rushers, defensive tackles, and defensive backs. If you’re a team that needs a pass rusher or a defensive back, whether it’s a corner or safety, this is the draft you have to hit on. Now lets talk about the Chicago Bears’ needs for the draft, after a shocking season giving fans a playoff run. The Bears currently have picks in the first 3 rounds and rounds 4-7 with two seventh-round picks. The first and second rounds of the draft will be crucial for the organization to pick up two great defensive players. The Bears desperately need another edge rusher to pair with Montez Sweat, and a defensive tackle in the second round would also help with the possible loss of Gervon Dexter.
Mock drafts currently have the Bears selecting TJ Parker, the talented edge rusher out of Clemson. If TJ Parker ends up getting picked earlier than expected, there are many other edge rushers that I love in this draft. The other four I wouldn’t mind having would be Keldrick Faulk (Auburn), David Bailey (Texas Tech), Cashius Howell (Texas A&M), and R Mason Thomas (Oklahoma). Kendrick Faulk’s length and strength are extremely impressive, and he relies on them to be disruptive in the backfield. He is a great defender and is most disruptive in short-yardage and goal-line situations. David Bailey, I would say, is one of the better overall athletes at the edge position. Bailey is very explosive off the ball with a lot of power and relies on his bull rush to wreak havoc in the backfield, but he still has room for improvement when it comes to getting off blocks. Now, Cashius Howell and R Mason Thomas are two of the more undersized players at the position, but I love the way they play. Howell is solid in both the run and pass game, while R Mason Thomas is an elite pass rusher who has great twitchiness, fast hands, and plays with high-level energy. I also like Gracen Halton (DT) out of Oklahoma for the Bears in the second round if he somehow happens to fall that late. His draft combine numbers were ridiculous, with a 4.82 40-yard dash and a 36.5 vertical at 300 pounds.
The first two rounds of the draft for the Bears need to be focused on the defensive line, and in rounds 3-6, I would go after a few defensive backs. If Jaquon Brisker ends up walking this off-season, then safety is a must in the third round. The safeties that are projected in rounds 3-5 are Bud Clark (TCU), Zakee Wheatley (Penn State), Michael Taaffe (Texas), and Jakobe Thomas (Miami). My favorites from this group are Bud Clark and Jakobe Thomas; both of them have great ball production and fly to the football. They are turnover machines, while also having great physicality to fit right into a Dennis Allen defense. The two corners I like in rounds 3-5 are Tacario Davis (Washington) and Colin Wright (Stanford). Having more depth at cornerback for the Bears is crucial with all the injuries that have taken place at the position. Tacario Davis has the length at corner the Bears need, coming in at 6’4″ and 33/8-inch arms. He has tremendous upside with great speed at the position, who can shut down premier routes.
My honorable mentions for the 2026 draft are Robert Spears Jennings (Oklahoma), Deontae Lawson (Alabama), and Isaiah World (Oregon). If the Bears can get one more safety late in the draft, Robert Spears Jennings would be a steal. He was top three in Oklahoma’s talented defense in tackles and ran a 4.32 40-yard dash at the combine, tied for the second fastest. The Bears also need to look at linebacker in the later rounds, with expected departures and injuries. Deontae Lawson would be a nice pick-up if available, who excels in coverage and has great run defense instincts. Isaiah World should be available in the later rounds and would be a good depth pick-up at offensive tackle as well. All in all, this year is one of the best defensive drafts I can remember in a long time, and thankfully thats exactly where the Bears need to execute in this year’s draft. If the Bears can improve drastically on the defensive side of the ball, they might just have a chance to get to the Super Bowl.