Bears 2026 NFL Mock Draft Tracker: New defensive talent are being linked to Chicago with the No. 25 pick after free agency
New names are being mocked to the Chicago Bears based on the second wave of national mock drafts.
With free agency now behind us, for the most part, all eyes are now onto the 2026 NFL Draft in late April and there still is no consensus among the national experts on what the Chicago Bears will do with the 25th overall pick in the first-round.
Back in February, I compiled nine different mock drafts to get a sample on how experts feel about the team’s potential targets in the first round. Of the nine different mocks, a defensive lineman was selected eight different times with an interior defensive lineman being selected six different times.
- Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald – 4 selections
- Missouri DE Zion Young – 2 selections
- Flordia DT Caleb Banks – 1 selection
- Oregon S Dillon Thieneman – 1 selection
- Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter – 1 selection
How did things change after the second wave mock drafts? Let’s take a look now that we have a solid sample size of mock drafts available from various draft experts.
Chicago Bears 2026 NFL mock draft tracker (second wave of national mock drafts)
A to Z Sports Chicago: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
“The Bears elected not to pay Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker, meaning the Bears are still in need of another starter at the position alongside Coby Bryant. Insert Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, another versatile safety that can do whatever you ask of him while delivering some more hard-hitting downhill ability.”
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo
“McNeil-Warren has the size, length and playmaking ability to fill the void left by Jaquan Brisker — in fact, I believe EMW would be an upgrade at the position.”
ESPN’s Mel Kiper: Zion Young, DE, Missouri
“The Bears had 35 sacks (tied for 22nd) and a lowly 28.0% pressure rate (29th) last season. Montez Sweat had 10 of those sacks, but there wasn’t much beyond him. Dayo Odeyingbo was signed last offseason to be the second guy off the edge, but he managed one sack over eight games before an Achilles injury ended his season. Despite struggling to find consistent quarterback pressure for a few years now, Chicago hasn’t used a top-50 pick on an edge rusher since Leonard Floyd went ninth in 2016.
Let’s change that. Young had 6.5 sacks and 46 pressures last season, playing with power and a full-go motor. He’d bring some intensity to the Bears’ front.”
CBS Sports’ Mike Renner: Akheem Mesidor, DE, Miami
“For a Bears defensive line starved for pass-rushing help, Akheem Mesidor can make an immediate impact. He can rush from both the edge and the interior, given his experience doing both in college.”
Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs: Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
“Edge rusher looms as the greatest need, and Zion Young would be a really interesting fit for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen if he’s available. If not, Thieneman is very intriguing if available as the Bears would have a dynamic young player to pair with Coby Bryant.”
FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State
“I think the Bears would’ve loved a guy like Omar Cooper. I look at them and they traded away DJ Moore, the got a second-round pick back from Buffalo, they can grab a replacement right here on the outside. How about Jordyn Tyson from Arizona State. I like that. Jordyn Tyson is a big-bodied guy, I love him. You can team him up with Rome Odunze and Colston Loveland for Caleb Williams in Ben Johnson’s offense. I like the idea of big targets for Caleb Williams.”
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain and Dan Wiederer: Zion Young, DE, Missouri
“This is Dennis Allen’s kind of player. Big, long, strong. And full of energy… At the combine, Poles listed a handful of traits he prioritizes in defensive linemen — high motor, relentlessness, violent, explosive. Young fits. The Bears will, at once, be showing a vote of confidence in his potential and this coaching staff’s ability to bring the best out of him.”
NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo (via trade up)
“Ryan Poles gets aggressive and moves up the board to grab a long, rangy safety capable of laying the lumber or taking the ball away from a variety of alignments.”
Takeaways from the second wave of national mock drafts
A couple of new names join the list with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren leading the way in the second wave with three selections. When you combine both trackers together, Zion Young is tied with Kayden McDonald with four selections apiece. Two other names that joined the list in the second wave were Akheem Mesidor and Jordyn Tyson. Mesidor is a older prospect but was very productive in his final season at Miami and Poles noted he’d be comfortable taking an older prospect. Tyson is intriguing after the Moore trade, but I would be shocked to see a wide receiver selected at No. 25.
Positionally, there has now been six selections for an interior defensive lineman (none in the second wave) and five selections for a safety (either Thieneman or McNeil-Warren). In another month, we’ll do a third mock draft roundup and see if there’s even more of a consensus.
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