The speculation and guesswork are finally almost over. The 2026 NFL draft is less than a week away. By now, the Chicago Bears will have solidified their board, having a solid idea of what they want to do in the 1st round. Some wonder if they might trade up, though that is far from likely. More believe they’re hoping to trade down, though that could prove difficult in a weak class. Right now, the odds favor them staying put at the 25th overall pick and making the best selection possible.
What every fan wants to know is who that player will be. There is no shortage of possibilities. In cases like this, the best thing to do is sift through the names with a reasonable chance of being available and use all of the information gathered about how this team operates to determine the most likely targets. That is what I’ve done here, ranking ten players with the best chance.
Ten players stand out as true Chicago Bears targets at #25 overall.
10. Indiana WR Omar Cooper Jr.
The loss of D.J. Moore has put wide receiver higher on the priority list for the Bears. Maybe not at the top, but certainly higher than some fans or media have accepted. Cooper Jr. exhibits many of the qualities head coach Ben Johnson wants. He’s over 6’0″ and over 200 lbs. He has good speed and plays with a violent temperament, both in his running after the catch and his blocking.
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Why he’s not higher: While wide receiver is a need, it’s not near the top of the list. It would be shocking if there aren’t players with similar grades to him who play more important positions on defense or the offensive line. This would be a selection you might call the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency move.
09. Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
Every great defense has a glue guy. He is the player who is always around the football, always barking orders, getting teammates lined up, and always displaying the magnetic charisma of a leader. Rodriguez was that guy for Texas Tech. He isn’t the biggest or the fastest, but he’s got enough of both to go along with some of the best instincts in this class. Throw in his obvious leadership, and he is a pillar that defenses can be built around.
Why he’s not higher: The modern NFL doesn’t accommodate linebackers like it used to. Only the most elite talents get drafted in the 1st round these days. Fair or not, Rodriguez isn’t in that category. Linebacker isn’t a premium position, even though the Bears obviously need another good one for their rebuilding front seven. Rodriguez will be a good player, but his positional value hurts him.
08. Utah OT Caleb Lomu
Left tackle remains a huge question mark for the Bears. Ozzy Trapilo has a nasty knee injury to recover from. Braxton Jones and Jedrick Wills aren’t long-term options. Locking down such a crucial position is something they’ve wanted to do for years. Lomu has almost all of the tools you could want. He’s a great athlete with fluid feet, shows patience in his sets, and has good hand-fighting technique.
Why he’s not higher: Lomu suffers from the same problem that haunted Jones when he arrived in the NFL. Most consider him underpowered. He’s vulnerable to the bull rush due to a suspect anchor and doesn’t demonstrate the best upper-body strength. He has the frame to correct that issue, but it is difficult to say whether he will put in the necessary work to do so.
07. Toledo S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Dennis Allen showed he wants to rebuild the safety room in his vision by letting Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker walk as free agents. Signing Coby Bryant was the first step. McNeil-Warren is built much the same way. He’s big, athletic, isn’t afraid to hit, and shows an uncanny nose for the football. Some might be reminded of Charles Tillman when watching him play, just in a safety’s body.
Why he’s not higher: The Bears haven’t taken a safety in the 1st round since Mark Carrier in 1990. It hasn’t been something the organization has historically done. Poles talks all the time about positional value. Evaluating safeties is difficult, which makes the risk of taking them in the 1st round that much higher. Compile that with his minor athletic limitations, and it’s a tough sell.
06. Miami EDGE Akheem Mesidor
Good NFL pass rushers tend to fall into similar categories. They must be strong, violent, quick, and able to bend the edge without losing speed. Usually, when they have those four traits, they find success in the pros. Mesidor showed all of them during his final year in Miami, terrorizing tackles all season. His relentless motor and advanced technique made him a nightmare to contain.
Why he’s not higher: The inescapable fact is that Mesidor turns 25 this year. That is exceedingly old for a 1st round pick. Coach Johnson has always targeted younger prospects, dating back to his time in Detroit. They usually don’t go above 21 years old. The same goes for Poles, who has never drafted anybody over 22 (Caleb Williams). It’s hard to imagine they would break that rule for Mesidor, even with as good as he is.
05. Clemson DT Peter Woods
If you follow the previous two Super Bowl champions, you’ll start noticing a trend. Both teams had stout interior defensive lines, making it easy for them to control the line of scrimmage. The Chicago Bears have wanted to do this for years. Woods, talent-wise, is probably the most complete defensive tackle in the class. He’s big, strong, sheds blocks well, and flashes the lower body explosion to shoot gaps for quick pressures.
Why he’s not higher: The saying goes, ‘Show, don’t tell.’ For all the talk about Woods’ capability, it hasn’t shown up on the stat sheet. He has five sacks and 14.5 tackles for a loss in three seasons with the Tigers. He didn’t show enough consistent domination to justify his hype level. Now, he wasn’t the only player on that defense to seemingly regress, but the inconsistency is hard to ignore.
04. Missouri EDGE Zion Young
After a somewhat quiet start to his college career, Young went on a rampage in 2025, racking up 16.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. He carries this over to a strong showing at the Senior Bowl, proving it wasn’t a fluke. He has size, length, loads of power, and a temperament of unrelenting violence. He’s not the most athletic player, which may limit his overall pass-rush arsenal, but his dimensions are an obvious fit for Chicago.
Why he’s not higher: Young is a one-year wonder coming out of Missouri, and even then, his sack total belies somebody who can’t always finish the play. Then you have the off-the-field issues. Young was charged with aggravated assault in 2022 and later got a DWI last year. He hasn’t carried himself like the most upstanding citizen, which makes him a greater risk.
03. Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor
If you look at the template set by Darnell Wright three years ago, no player fits it better than Iheanachor. He’s big, powerful, surprisingly nimble for his size, and he displays that edge of nastiness coaches always love. His play took a big step up in 2025, showcasing greater awareness and technique after looking so raw the year before. He carried that into a standout Senior Bowl performance to cement it.
Why he’s not higher: There is one inescapable fact with Inheanachor. He’s inexperienced. Until five years ago, he was a soccer player. He is still very new to American football. As challenging as college is, he isn’t ready for the complicated stuff the NFL will throw at him. That is why his transition could take some time. That doesn’t include the fact that he is a right tackle, meaning he’d be shifting to the left side.
02. Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk
If you were to draw a Dennis Allen defensive end up in a lab, it would spit out Faulk. He has everything: a 6’6″ frame, 276 lbs, 34-inch arms, and is great at setting the edge against the run. He’s only 20 years old, too. The ceiling for players like this is always sky high. He’s drawn comparisons to Carlos Dunlap, who carved out an excellent career in Cincinnati. Allen has worked with this type of player for years.
Why he’s not higher: The problem with Faulk is that he has one glaring flaw. He’s not a good pass rusher. Despite his excess number of tools, he managed just 10 sacks in three seasons. For all the talk about his natural talent, it sure doesn’t show in the most important department for a defensive lineman. Are the Chicago Bears confident they can succeed where Auburn failed? Such gambles are dangerous.
01. Clemson OT Blake Miller
Look back at Trapilo and all the reasons the Chicago Bears drafted him. Miller is the same type of player, only more talented. He’s 6’6″, 317 lbs, and has 34-inch arms. His athleticism stands out immediately, showcasing great range in the run game and the ability to mirror speed rushers with his quick feet. He’s also experienced, having started 54 games. Intelligent? Yep. Unselfish? Absolutely. The guy is everything Johnson and this staff would love.
Why he’s #1: The Bears are searching for somebody they can plug and play immediately. Though Miller is a right tackle, he’s athletic enough and experienced enough to handle a transition to the left side with minimal issues. His anchor against power is very good and isn’t timid when looking to finish his blocks. All of his issues are technical in nature, meaning they can be resolved with effective coaching. In the absence of a home run, this is the type of “good football” player this team insists they hunt.
