Now that the scouting combine is over, it feels like the right time for another Chicago Bears 2026 mock offseason. Information is becoming more accurate. Trade possibilities and free agent moves are coming into focus. We’re getting a better idea of where players will go in the draft. That makes it somewhat easier to determine what Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will do when the action starts. One thing we can say for sure is that the roster that finished last season will be considerably different by the end of spring.

Let’s take a look at how things could unfold.

The shakeup gets real in this latest Chicago Bears 2026 mock offseason

Trades:

• LB Tremaine Edmunds to the Raiders for a 4th round pick
• WR D.J. Moore and a 5th round pick to the Titans for a 3rd round pick
• QB Tyson Bagent to the Jets for a 2nd round pick
• RB D’Andre Swift to the Chiefs for a future 5th round pick

Rumors have been swirling that the Bears could get busy on the trade market, both to clear some cap space and possibly add considerable draft capital. They manage both with four significant moves. Edmunds and Moore are cap-related decisions, while Bagent is an offer they can’t refuse. The Jets have two 2nd round picks, so they can afford the calculated swing. Aaron Glenn trusts Ben Johnson’s ability to develop quarterbacks. Kansas City needs running back help, so this is an easy sell for them.

Cap space: $36 million

Cuts/Restructures:

• EDGE Montez Sweat – conversion for $10 million
• OG Joe Thuney – conversion for $8 million
• OT Kiran Amegadjie – released for $1.05 million

Cap space: $57 million

Re-signings:

• Kevin Byard – 2-year deal for $15.6 million ($3.84 million cap hit in 2026)
• C.J. Gardner-Johnson – 1-year deal for $3 million
• Braxton Jones – 1-year deal for $4.5 million
• D’Marco Jackson – 1-year deal for $1.26 million
• Dominique Robinson – 1-year deal for $1.26 million
• Jonathan Owens – 1-year deal for $1.26 million
• Daniel Hardy – 1-year deal for $1.33 million
• Durham Smythe – 1-year deal for $1.07 million
• Jordan McFadden – 1-year deal for $1.14 million
• Scott Daly – 1-year deal for $1.07 million
• Theo Benedet – 1-year deal for $1.19 million
• Case Keenum – 1-year deal for $1.26 million
• Elijah Hicks – 1-year deal for $1.07 million
• Travis Homer – 1-year deal for $1.07 million
• Jaylon Jones – 1-year deal for $1.07 million

Cap space: $46 million

Free agency:

• RB Breece Hall – 4-year deal for $42 million
• DT D.J. Reader – 1-year deal for $3.75 million
• EDGE Cameron Jordan – 1-year deal for $7 million
• CB Kaiir Elam – 1-year deal for $1.18 million

Another big move at running back isn’t what many expected in this Chicago Bears 2026 mock offseason. However, Hall is a unique specimen. He’s got size, power, and speed. His ability to produce in a rough situation with the Jets shows he can be so much more in the right situation. Playing in Johnson’s offense could be a match made in heaven. Reader and Jordan are solid veterans who can help the Bears’ pass rush and run defense. Elam is a former 1st round pick who might be the perfect reclamation project for Al Harris.

The Draft:

1st Round – Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

This draft is light on defensive tackles who are capable of becoming strong interior pass rushers. Woods is one of those few. He has good size, block-shedding power, and explosiveness in his lower body. People aren’t sure why his 2025 season was underwhelming, but it’s worth mentioning that Clemson changed their entire defensive coaching staff in his final year there. He has the full toolbox to become a dynamic interior player for Dennis Allen’s defense. All he needs is the right developmental plan.

2nd Round (via NYJ) – Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas

Having 17 sacks in a college career would be pretty good for a young pass rusher. Hill is an off-the-ball linebacker. Those are insane numbers, and it shows on tape. He’s highly athletic, aggressive, violent, and instinctive as a blitzer. Allen likes having inside linebackers who fit that profile. Demario Davis was a perfect example in New Orleans. Hill is that exact prototype. He’d be right at home in this system.

2nd Round – Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF

I wrote recently that Allen prefers edge rushers who fall into a specific range of length and explosiveness. They must have at least a 1.65 time in the 10-yard split with arms over 33 inches. Lawrence checked both boxes at the combine. He’s a dynamic athlete for his size, getting up the field in a hurry, and already boasts a deep pass-rush arsenal. Adding some power to his frame would be the preferred next step.

Trade: 66th pick to PHI for 68th pick and 4th round pick

3rd Round (via PHI) – Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Teams will push Rodriguez down the board because of his average size and short arms. It’s their loss. He is a highly instinctive and athletic linebacker who doubles as an outstanding field general. He gobbles up tackles and turnovers at a shocking clip, punching far above his weight class all the time.

3rd Round – Zakee Wheatley, S, Penn State

A versatile safety with great size, natural awareness, and affinity for playing in deep coverage. He’s not afraid to drive downhill to make tackles or deliver a hit. There are certain parts of his game that need refinement, but this kid will be a solid starter in the right hands.

4th Round (via LV) – Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State

There is no substitute for speed. Few love it more than Coach Johnson. He’s put a directive in to add more this offseason. What better way than adding the fastest receiver from the scouting combine? Thompson ran a 4.26, and it showed with his whopping 18.5 yards per catch this past season.

4th Round – Jude Bowry, OT, Boston College

Chicago had pretty good fortune drafting Ozzy Trapilo last year, so why not select the guy who forced him to move from left tackle to right tackle? Bowry is a big, fluid athlete with the length and mobility you seek on the left side. If he can add a better anchor and refined fundamentals, he’s a starter waiting to happen.

4th Round (via PHI) – Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas

The team has shifted to searching for taller cornerbacks since Al Harris arrived. He wants them long and athletic. Neal checks those boxes and adds speed on top. He has a good nose for the football too. When his technique is right, he blankets wide receivers.

7th Round – Lorenzo Styles Jr., S, Ohio State

There is never any arm in taking a chance on a freak athlete. Styles Jr. switched from wide receiver to safety in college, so he’s new to the position, and it shows. Has 4.27 speed, improving recognition, and special teams value.

7th Round (via CLE) – Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State

With Bagent gone, the Bears have to think about finding help at quarterback. Payton has drawn their interest. He’s a good athlete with accuracy at all three levels. His arm strength is only average, but he shows surprising poise for only a one-year starter. He is somebody who fits what Johnson likes at that position.

When the Chicago Bears gave linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade this past week, people didn’t read much into it. Due to salary-cap issues, most assumed the Bears would cut him outright. The trade thing was just to see if there was a market for the veteran linebacker. To the shock of many, it appears there is. Rumblings began earlier in the week that interest in the league was hotter than expected. Word was the Bears could get a decent return for him if things progressed quickly.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN took things to the next level when he revealed not one but three teams with legitimate interest in Edmunds.

“One player who has strong trade value and a decent chance to be dealt is Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. The Titans, Raiders and Giants are among teams interested in high-end linebackers, and they like Edmunds, who’s only 27 despite eight years in the league. He was granted permission to seek a trade earlier this week.”

Anybody who understands basic football economics will know that having three teams interested means you have the makings of a bidding war. Chicago can play them against each other, doing everything possible to drive up the price until they get the best return. What fans want to know is what they could get. This quickly went from maybe a late-round picks swap to something serious.

Tremaine Edmunds could fetch a solid pick for the Bears.

In these situations, the best thing to do is look back at recent history to find possible examples that mirror what the Bears are looking at. Plenty of linebackers have been dealt over the past couple of decades. The range of returns for them has been wide. Here are some examples of starters who were between the ages of 26 and 29 (Edmunds will be 28 in May) and what they fetched.

Given Edmunds’ productivity over the past few years and relative durability in that time, it would be fair to say he stands closer to Vilma, Collins, and Alexander in terms of quality. That means the Bears could receive up to a late 3rd or early 4th-round pick. Or something of equal value. Considering he’s in the last year of his contract, that would be a big win for the organization, giving them much-needed flexibility in an important draft.

Getting anything for Edmunds is a big win for the Bears.

Let’s not forget the team signed him as a free agent in 2023. To get three years of solid linebacker play and then flipping him elsewhere for a solid draft pick is football business at its best. Granted, part of the reason Tremaine Edmunds is being traded at all is because of cap issues. Yet that is the nature of things. Sometimes you must make difficult sacrifices. We saw that happen to Kansas City last year when they traded Joe Thuney to Chicago. The loss of Edmunds may hurt in the short term, but they should be able to navigate it.

The timing is certainly good. Draft experts believe this is one of the best linebacker classes to come out of college in the past few years. If the Bears were hoping to add a high-end talent to their roster, this is the year to do it. Don’t be surprised if they double-dip at the position. Edmunds isn’t the only one on his way out. The same is likely true for Noah Sewell as well. Don’t forget T.J. Edwards is dealing with an injury. They need bodies. Extra picks will help.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson may not hold the title of general manager, but many insiders have indicated he might as well. The widespread belief is that he has the final say on personnel decisions for this franchise. While general manager Ryan Poles still controls the scouting department and front office, no free-agent signing, trade, or draft pick will occur without Johnson’s approval. It also makes sense that he would set the parameters for how he wants the Bears to be constructed moving forward.

According to the latest intel gathered by Sports Mockery from the scouting combine, Johnson has installed a directive for the entire team this spring. They are to focus on one thing above all: speed.

Chicago was one of the slower teams in the NFL this past season, offensively and defensively. They ranked 23rd among teams with a combined 40-yard dash average. The Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks were 11th. The Philadelphia Eagles, who won in 2024, were 4th. Speed doesn’t equal championships by itself, but it isn’t a coincidence that winning teams are often littered with it.

Ben Johnson prioritizing speed is nothing new.

It’s been part of his track record since his time as an assistant coach with the Miami Dolphins. As tight ends coach with Miami in 2015, they signed Jordan Cameron as a free agent, noted for his 4.59 speed at 265 lbs. He shifted to wide receivers coach a year later and helped the Dolphins add Jakeem Grant (4.38). Yet it was in Detroit where that approach came fully to light. Between 2022 and 2023, as their offensive coordinator, the Lions added wide receiver Jameson Williams (4.25), running back Jahmyr Gibbs (4.36), and tight end Sam LaPorta (4.59).

Speed doesn’t win games by itself, but it does increase the margin of error for your team. One big play on offense can change the momentum of a game. Having a fast defense allows them to mitigate damage when tackles are missed or long passes are connected. Late Las Vegas Raiders owner Al Davis was easily the most obsessed person with speed, maybe in NFL history. Why? He explained.

“You can’t teach speed… everything else in the game can be taught, but speed is a gift from God.”

The Bears will have no shortage of options to choose from.

One thing about this year’s scouting combine is that it featured a healthy share of players with legitimate speed. Many of them are in positions where the Bears have needs. Edge rusher? Linebacker? Safety? All delivered impressive times. You can bet Ben Johnson also wants more juice at running back and wide receiver. No problems there, either. The only question is who among the many names might interest them the most. Here is a list of the top five runners at every position.

We already saw glimpses of this strategy last year. Colston Loveland and Luther Burden were both considered among the fastest players at their respective positions in the 2025 class. Dennis Allen openly said they (the Bears) got some speed when they drafted linebacker Ruben Hyppolite. It is a focal point that will carry over into this April’s draft. Knowing this could make it easier to pinpoint who the team selects with the 25th overall pick.

Likely Bears targets are starting to separate themselves.

At this stage, it remains uncertain who will even be on the board for the Bears when they go on the clock. The combine tends to cause a considerable shift in where players were projected to where they actually land. However, we can at least compile a list of names who:

• A. Have a reasonable chance of being available at #25
• B. Checked the speed box for their respective position

All of those players have the right mix of strong game tape and athletic testing that Johnson would be looking for. It comes down to how much positional value matters to the Bears’ head coach. He’s stated more than once that he is only interested in drafting good football players. They’ll sort out the rest later. This could mean the door is wide open to go in almost any direction. They need speed everywhere. Just pinpoint the best player who has it and take them. Don’t overthink it.

Everybody who worked in the NFL will say teams don’t make a decision on who they want to draft in February. There is still a lot of prep work to do. Pro days must be attended. Private visits must be conducted. A lot can happed with over a month still to go before the draft. Minds can change. This is true to an extent, but it’s not always the case. There have been many instances over the past few decades in which teams knew who they wanted to draft long before the event began. That is why you see minimal buzz around a #1 overall pick or a team jumping up in the 1st round via trade to snag someone. Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is no stranger to this. So how does this involve Akheem Mesidor, you may ask?

Poles has made it clear on multiple occasions that he had eyes for specific players several weeks before the draft. It was true with Darnell Wright in 2023 and, of course, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in 2024. So it’s not at all crazy to think the Bears already have a good idea of who they want in the 2025 draft. In fact, signs are emerging that they may be formulating a plan to draft him. That player is the Miami Hurricanes defensive end. If you think that is a stretch, just follow the breadcrumbs.

Akheem Mesidor is considered a day two prospect in NFL circles

Let’s start with the player. Mesidor was one of the most dominant pass rushers this past season in college football, amassing 12.5 sacks while helping Miami reach the national championship game. Though average in terms of size, he brings violence, power, understated burst, and a white hot motor to the table. Under normal circumstances, he would likely be a top 10 pick. Unfortunately, Mesidor turns 25 years old this year, making him one of the oldest prospects in the class. This is primarily why, according to draft insider Charlie Campbell, people in the league see him as a likely day two pick.

A tremendous defense led by defensive ends Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor led Miami to the National Championship game. In the college football playoff, Bain and Mesidor were red-hot and produced consistent pressure on the quarterback. Many in the media have projected both to be first-round picks next April, but in speaking with sources at multiple teams, they have Mesidor as a day-two prospect.

“He’s got kind of a unique body, and he’s older, so we have him as a day-two guy,” said an AFC director of player personnel. Sources at other teams echoed those same sentiments about Mesidor’s age and size. At 6-foot-3, 259 pounds and having short arms, Mesidor does not have the height or length that teams like to see with their edge rushers. Next season, Mesidor will be 25, and that is old for an NFL rookie.

If this is true, then any team that likes him will likely know their chances are good of landing Mesidor either at the bottom of the 1st round or top of the 2nd, which would give them the incentive to move down.

NFL executives believe the Bears might look to move down

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune spoke with multiple NFL executives to gauge what the Bears might do with the 25th overall pick. Plenty talked about their options on defense, which should be plentiful. There could also be a left tackle option or two, depending on how things trend in the first 24 picks. However, more than one of them admitted this class might incentivize Poles to move down from that spot, namely because the list of acceptable options will be much longer than it would be if the Bears were picking in the top 10.

Said a college scouting director: “Instead of having to have seven guys on the board that you would take, now you have to have 15 or 25 that you’d like there. You get to a point where you’re like, ‘We don’t have 25 players we like in the first round.’ Then you start thinking about moving back, get some value.”

It’s an important point. If there are, say, 15 players the Bears might be willing to take at #25, then moving back ten spots would mean there will be at least five still remaining when they’re back on the board. The logic is sound. It was a big part of why Poles felt comfortable moving down from #1 in 2023. He was confident the player he wanted, Wright, would still be available. He was correct. So could he be similarly confident about Mesidor?

Ryan Poles mentioned Mesidor unprompted in an interview

The last part of this argument is determining whether the Bears even like the Miami defensive end. That became a major factor during an interview on The McShay Show, when he brought up the young man unprompted while discussing older prospects. At no point did the Bears’ general manager sound at all down on the idea of taking the pass rusher. Part of it is because Mesidor has tons of experience, so he would be ready to play immediately. Another is that he was developed by Jason Taylor, a Hall of Fame pass rusher.

Let’s also not forget Poles has already shown he isn’t afraid to take calculated risks on older prospects. His most famous was 3rd round wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. (25) in 2022. Punter Tory Taylor was 26 when the Bears drafted him in 2024, and cornerback Zah Frazier turned 25 in October last year. Age clearly isn’t something that deters this GM. Not if he believes he’s getting a talented player at a reasonable value. Akheem Mesidor is a talented player. Besides, it’s not like taking older pass rushers doesn’t work.

Things are lining up. The Bears need pass rush help. Mesidor is one of the best in the class. Chicago would like to move down to secure extra draft capital (they have only 7 picks). NFL teams don’t like drafting older players in the 1st round. Lastly, you have a GM in charge who has a history of selecting them. All the signs point to what the Bears want to do.

The Bears granted linebacker Tremaine Edmunds permission to seek a trade last week. Bear GM Ryan Poles opened the door for him to explore options across the league.

According to ESPN, the Titans, Raiders and Giants are among the teams showing interest. There are teams around the league that see value in Edmunds. He is still young and has played a lot of football at a high level. That alone keeps his name relevant in trade talks.

What is not known yet is what the Bears would get back. There is no confirmed offer. There is no reported deal in place. From a realistic standpoint, the return likely falls in the Day Three range of the draft. A fifth or even sixth round pick feels more in line with where things usually land for a veteran linebacker with a $17.4M cap hit.

Edmunds is not washed up. Before his injury, he was playing pro bowl caliber football last season. He has length, range and experience calling a defense. Teams looking to add stability in the middle will see that. The question is whether they are willing to take on his contract at the number it sits right now.

Why This Makes Sense For the Bears

From the Bears point of view, this is about flexibility. If they trade or move on from Edmunds, they open up significant cap space. That money can be used to address other needs on the roster. Ryan Poles has made it clear that tough decisions are part of roster building. This feels like one of those moments. This draft class is very interesting at linebacker which helps Chicago but also may hurt Edmunds value on the market.

If the Bears think they can replace Edmunds’ production at a lower cost, then exploring a trade makes sense.

At the same time, this is not a move they should rush. If the offers do not match that value, keeping him is not a terrible outcome. But it is unlikely given their current cap situation.

In my view, the Bears should seriously explore the market but stay patient. If a team is willing to give up a solid mid round pick, you take it. This is business. It is not personal. And right now, the Bears are simply doing good business.