Bears 4-Round 2026 Mock Draft: Chicago takes a page from the Houston Texans to make sure they check off all of their boxes with a trade down
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles should go back to his usual ways of wheeling and dealing draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The 2026 NFL Draft is less than a month away and this week we will conduct two different mock drafts for the Chicago Bears, the first being a four-round mock and the second one being a full seven-round mock draft.
For the first one, we’re going to be doing a trade down from the 25th overall pick and taking a page out of the Houston Texans’ playbook. In the 2025 NFL Draft, the Texans traded the 25th overall pick to the New York Giants in exchange for the 34th overall pick (second-round), the 99th overall pick (third-round), and a 2026 third-round pick. The Giants used that pick to draft quarterback Jaxon Dart in the first-round.
For this mock, we’re going to trade the 25th overall pick to the New York Jets in exchange for the 33rd overall pick, the 103rd overall pick (fourth-round), and a 2027 third-round pick. It’s not the same haul that Houston received, but still a decent one for the Bears that allows the Jets to swoop back into the first-round to draft quarterback Ty Simpson.
With this trade now accepted, let’s get into the four-round mock draft.
Chicago Bears 4-Round 2026 Mock Draft
Round 2, pick 33 (via NYJ): Zion Young, DE, Missouri
After trading back, Chicago watched Kadyn Proctor, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Akheem Mesidor all come off the board between picks 26-32. That just shows you what the risk would be to move down even a few spots. But, what’s done is done and with the No. 33 pick I still had the Bears still coming away with the player I believe is Chicago’s best fit at EDGE in Missouri’s Zion Young.
Young has been the most connected edge rusher to the Bears with the 25th overall pick and landing him at 33 instead is good value while picking up extra draft picks. What the Bears miss out on is not having the future fifth-year option to use on a potential top edge rusher. Regardless, Young has the length and size that will fit well in Dennis Allen’s scheme.
Round 2, pick 57: AJ Haulcy, S, LSU
Right before this selection, Malachi Lawrence and Gabe Jacas came off the board, so we made the correct call going with an EDGE with the first pick. At pick 56, however, Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard came off the board, and he would have been a nice fit in Ben Johnson’s offense.
So, looking at the board remaining, AJ Haulcy was an easy decision to make. The Bears added one starting safety in free agency in Coby Bryant and now can pair him with Haulcy. He lacks top-end speed, but has outstanding instincts and a downhill trigger to be the new strong safety.
Round 2, pick 60: Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma
Based on this simulation, the 60th overall pick is going to be a hotspot for linebackers with Anthony Hill Jr. and Josiah Trotter still on the board along with pass rushers like LT Overton and Derrick Moore. This could easily be another trade back spot for Poles to recoup a fifth/sixth-round pick.
Instead, we’re going to stick and pick. Gracen Halton is one of my favorite draft fits for the Bears and a player I’ve selected many times already in previous mocks. Interior defensive line is still a real need for the defense long-term and Halton is the ideal player for what Allen is searching for.
Round 3, pick 89: Samuel Hecht, C, Kansas State
This was a close one as Samuel Hecht was the top player on the board once I was back on the clock. There’s a strong chance Hecht comes off the board in the second-round and a player the Bears might consider with pick No. 60. We took a gamble waiting and it paid off.
The Bears acquired a starting center for 2026 in Garrett Bradbury following Drew Dalman’s retirement, but he’s only under contract for one season. The Bears sent a sizable scouting party down to the Kansas State Pro Day to get eyes on Hecht, who easily has the tools to play in this offense.
Round 4, pick 103 (via NYJ): Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi
With the addition fourth-round selection from the Jets, Ben Johnson can get another key piece for his offense and a true field-stretcher in Brenen Thompson. Thompson’s 4.26 40-yard-dash at the NFL Combine jumped his draft stock and was the fastest time among all combine invitees.
Adding that kind of speed to the Bears offense alongside Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Colston Loveland, and Kalif Raymond can take that unit to a whole new level. He is dangerous down the field and crossing the hashes, so there’s a lot Ben Johnson can scheme up for this guy.
Round 4, pick 129: Tacario Davis, CB, Washington
This range is the sweet spot to add another high-upside defensive back but two other options I considered are DE Mikail Kamara and TE Josh Cuveas. Ultimately, the idea of adding a potential starter on the outside at the cornerback position was hard to pass up.
Fittingly, Lance Zierlein of NFL Network compared Davis to former Bears starter and Pro Bowl alternate Nahshon Wright. Davis isn’t as tall as Wright being listed at 6-0 but he’s a very disruptive player on the outside and excels in press man. Davis makes up for the height difference with his long arms that can help matchup with bigger wide receivers down the field. If the Bears add a guy like this, he can easily compete for the Week 1 starting job, just like Wright did in 2025.
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