The 2026 NFL draft begins on April 23 in Pittsburgh, when the Chicago Bears will pick No. 25 in Round 1. The draft continues with Rounds 2-3 on April 24 and Rounds 4-7 on April 25 (ESPN, ABC and ESPN the app).
The Bears have seven total picks: Nos. 25, 57, 60, 89, 129, 239 and 241. But how will they use them? Which positions need to be addressed? Which prospects are coming in for visits and getting buzz with the front office and coaching staff?
Bears reporter Courtney Cronin has the latest intel on the team's draft plans, potential targets and more in the lead-up to the 2026 draft.
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Wednesday, April 15: There are two players who keep getting projected to the Bears with the 25th pick -- Clemson DT Peter Woods and Missouri DE Zion Young. ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. put out his final two-round mock draft on Wednesday and has Chicago selecting Young in the first round to pair with Montez Sweat.
Young was also mocked to the Bears by Kiper after the first wave of free agency and again by draft analyst Field Yates at the end of March. Chicago's 35 sacks last season were tied for the seventh fewest in the NFL, so bringing in Young to compete as a Day 1 starter at defensive end (6.5 sacks, 46 pressures and 18 TFLs in 2025) would raise the floor of the Bears' defensive line.
But it's worth noting that Auburn's Keldric Faulk (who Kiper credits for being scheme-versatile and as strong of a run defender as he is a pass rusher) and Miami's Akheem Mesidor were also available when the Bears were on the clock in the first round.
Monday, April 13: After ranking 31st in pass rush win rate (29%) and 29th in pressure rate (28%), the clearest need for Chicago to address early in the draft is with its pass rush. But that's not the sole focus on defense.
"I know there's a lot of emphasis on the pass rush -- I got it -- but there's a marriage between that rush and coverage as well," coach Ben Johnson said at NFL league meetings in Arizona.
Chicago needs to find another safety to start opposite Coby Bryant after seeing Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker depart in free agency, and it should address cornerback as well to fill the voids created by Nahshon Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.
The opportunity to add help up front and in the secondary could be a box the Bears check multiple times during the first two rounds. In their three-round mock draft, ESPN senior draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has Chicago going D-line with its first two picks -- Clemson DT Peter Woods at No. 25 and Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton at No. 57 -- before Field Yates projects safety/linebacker Kyle Louis from Pitt to Chicago with the 60th pick, which is the extra second-rounder Chicago acquired after trading DJ Moore to the Bills.
Wednesday, April 8: Every mock draft you read, from ESPN analysts Mel Kiper Jr. to Matt Miller, has the Bears projected to take a pass rusher with the 25th pick, but left tackle Ozzy Trapilo's injury and the uncertainty around his timeline to return could shift Chicago's priorities in Round 1.
The Bears' left tackle competition will feature Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr., Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie -- four players who haven't logged consistent high-end play at the position in the last 12 months and could benefit from adding a top-tier rookie to the mix.
"I think we've put ourselves in a really good situation to where -- much like last year -- we can go into this draft and stay true to our board and not force any pick," coach Ben Johnson said recently. "If there's a (offensive) tackle or a defensive tackle or a D-end, I think we can go any direction we need to and stay true to that and feel pretty good about it."