Bears 3-Round 2026 Mock Draft: DJ Moore trade gifts Chicago a new fancy pick to work with but opens an offensive need
First look at how the new second-round pick could be used by the Chicago Bears in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears have make their first big move of the offseason after trading wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, a move that not only saves the team $16.5 million in cap space but also comes with a new 2026 second-round pick in return.
It’s an outstanding deal for Chicago and a return no one could have possibility expected. The Bears now have a clear avenue to make another splash trade at the expense of future picks, or could use the war chest to continue adding more impactful rookies to the roster.
After this trade, the Bears now have four picks in the Top-100 selections. Let’s take a quick look at how those selections could be used in April’s draft.
Bears 3-Round 2026 Mock Draft after trading DJ Moore
Round 1, pick 25: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toldeo
The Bears were vocal about taking the best player available in the first-round and while landing a top defensive tackle like Kayden McDonald is a common fit to Chicago, coming away with one of the top safeties in the class helps address a major need on the roster.
I believe Dillon Thieneman boosted his stock out of Chicago’s range but Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is still a worthy candidate to consider with the 25th overall pick. He’s a hard-hitting safety while meeting the length requirements Dennis Allen and Al Harris want in the secondary. Pairing an enforcer like McNeil-Warren with a ballhawk in Kevin Byard III would give the Bears a very strong safety duo going into 2026.
Round 2, pick 57: Jacob Rodriquez, LB, Texas Tech
The second-round is still the sweet spot to add a starting caliber linebacker. Jacob Rodriguez, Anthony Hill Jr., and Josiah Trotter are all names to watch to start Day 2. Rodriguez is still my favorite option out of that group after being easily the top linebacker in college football last season.
With the Bears expected to move on from Tremaine Edmunds, either by trade or release, the Bears can land a starting-caliber player here to pair with T.J. Edwards that will bring a lot more speed to the position.
Round 2, pick 60 (via BUF): Gracen Halton, DT, Oklahoma
Ryan Poles noted that this year’s draft is deeper at EDGE than defensive tackles. After passing on a top option in the first, I had to make sure the Bears still came away with a top prospect to find into the interior of the defensive front. Gracen Halton is an exciting second-round option to consider.
Halton fits the ideal size for a Dennis Allen defensive tackle and just showed out at the NFL Scouting Combine, so 60 isn’t that high of a range for him anymore. He can add the explosive first step the Bears are missing with Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett.
Round 3, pick 89: Bryce Lance, WR, NDSU
For the sake of “replacing DJ Moore” in this mock, let’s throw in Bryce Lance as the third-round selection for the Bears. It’s worth noting only one wide receiver was reported to have met with the Bears at the NFL Combine in Missouri’s Kevin Coleman Jr. but this is too high to draft him.
Instead, we land NDSU’s clone of Christian Watson, a player that terrorized the Bears since being drafted by the Green Bay Packers. Lance is just as big and just as explosive as Watson. The trio of Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Lance at WR would be nightmare fuel in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Chicago Bears News
Chicago’s DJ Moore trade just put an absolute rocket ship on Luther Burden III going into his second season with the Bears
The runway is open for Luther Burden III to take off as the top weapon for the Chicago Bears’ offense.
