Bears 7-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft: Dennis Allen gets his guys on defense, and Ben Johnson can’t help himself from adding another weapon
The Chicago Bears add some necessary depth in this latest 2026 mock draft.
The Chicago Bears’ magical run in the first season under head coach Ben Johnson finally came to an end with an overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round.
It’s a disappointing reality for a team that believed it could go all the way this season, but it’s clear this is only the beginning of what this team can achieve.
And now, it’s back to square one with important decisions on the way to continue building this roster into a Super Bowl contender for the 2026-27 season. To achieve that, the Bears need serious upgrades in depth on both sides of the ball. Here’s what that could potentially look like in terms of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Bears 7-Round 2026 NFL Mock Draft
Round 1, Pick 25 – Kayden McDonald, DT, Ohio State
Attacking the interior of the defensive front is a good plan for the Bears early in this draft. Chicago won’t have much roster turnover for that unit when looking at the 2026 books, but the team can certainly benefit by adding more elite depth.
The position that makes sense to upgrade is NT, and moving on from Andrew Billings. It’s hard to find a better first-round NT prospect than Kayden McDonald. Some are saying this guy has shades of Derrick Brown, and landing him in the back half of the first round would be a steal for the Bears.
Round 2, Pick 57 – Romello Height, DE, Texas Tech
The Bears absolutely need more explosiveness off the edge in passing-down situations. I like what the Bears have in Montez Sweat and Austin Booker as the starters off the edge, and Dayo Odeyingbo played good football against the run.
Adding Romello Height to that group as a situational pass rusher can give Chicago a really strong rotation. And this would be the perfect fit for Height. While he has a lot of experience, he could benefit from starting his career as a rotational player with high upside.
Round 3, Pick 89 – Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana
Looking at the Hoosiers’ offense, Elijah Sarratt is building a strong case for himself as an early Day 2 prospect, but his stats were similar to Omar Cooper Jr. during the 2025 season. I have now mocked both Indiana wide receivers to land in Ben Johnson’s offense.
Indiana runs a very similar scheme to the Bears, with similar details and an emphasis on YAC on crossing routes. Cooper can offer more from the slot and take over Olamide Zaccheaus’ role. Having a room with DJ Moore (maybe?), Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Cooper would be lethal.
Round 4, Pick 129 – Jakobe Thomas, S, Miami
Safety will be a real need for the Bears in 2026, considering the team has ZERO safeties under contract next season. All-Pro Kevin Byard will obviously be back, and the Bears will have to make a decision on Jaquan Brisker’s future.
I can see the Bears moving on from Brisker and looking for a starting replacement in free agency. But the team will still need some quality depth there, too. Jakobe Thomas plays with that downhill aggressiveness Dennis Allen wants and has the ability to be a major weapon blitzing quarterbacks, while having some ball-hawk ability in coverage. He can be the perfect fit for what Allen and defensive backs coach Al Harris are building in Chicago.
Round 5, Pick 163 – Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
Few positions on the Bears’ defense got hit harder by injury than at linebacker. The two starters, Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, missed a ton of time during the regular season, and now Edwards is recovering from a fractured fibula and might get released with an injury settlement.
The team’s LB3, Noah Sewell, also suffered a torn Achilles tendon in Week 17. Adding to that position, again, makes sense. Kyle Louis has some size limitations, which will push him down draft boards, but his work ethic and versatility make him a prospect worth betting on at this point in the draft.
Round 7, Pick 239 – Riley Mahlman, OT, Wisconsin
With the latest injury to Ozzy Trapilo that could knock him out for the start of the 2026 season, I wanted to push an offensive tackle higher on this list, but it’s hard to say how big a need the coaching staff really views this position.
Rocking with a late-round tackle in Riley Mahlman is a safe decision. He’s 6-8 and has a nice punch in the run game. Hard to find better depth than him at this point in the draft.
Round 7, Pick 241 – Treydan Stukes, DB, Arizona
I always have a goal to leave every draft with a cornerback of some kind, and the Bears learned the hard way how important depth at this position can be.
Treydan Stukes meets the height requirement for a Dennis Allen CB and plays really well when pressing at the line of scrimmage. He would be a nice backup option to have behind Kyler Gordon at the nickel position.
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