The Chicago Bears are heading into NFL Combine week with not a lot of drama surrounding the team specifically, but we’ll still get an opportunity to hear from general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson on Tuesday, along with other head coaches and general managers.

It’s going to be a busy week but the main spectacle will be watching hundreds of top prospects competing in various drills to hopefully boost their stock going into the 2026 NFL Draft.

But, what drills are actually worth paying attention to? For the Bears, a team looking to draft more help in the trenches, here are some drills and time-ranges to watch out for.

Top drills Bears fans should watch during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine

1. Top 3-cone times for pass rushers

The top position of need in the draft for the Bears is easily finding some more quality pass rushers to add to the stable and the more explosive, the better. The first drill to watch will be the 3-cone drill with the defensive linemen on Thursday. The cheat code number to watch, via Josh Norris of Underdog Fantasy, is going to be 6.89 or better.

Here are some of the defensive line prospects that achieved that during previous NFL Combines.

• Von Miller – 6.70 (drafted 2nd overall)
• J.J. Watt – 6.88 (drafted 11th overall)
• T.J. Watt – 6.79 (drafted 30th overall)
• Aidan Hutchinson – 6.73 (drafted 2nd overall)
• Harold Landy – 6.88 (drafted 41st overall)
• Maxx Crosby – 6.89 (drafted 106th overall)

2. Top 10-yard splits for defensive linemen

This drill focuses more on the short-yard explosiveness for defensive linemen and will be tracked during the 40-yard-dash, which will also be held on Thursday for defensive linemen. The cheat code number for the 10-yard split is 1.70 or better for edge rushers and 1.80 for defensive tackles.

Here are some of the defensive line prospects that achieved that during previous NFL Combines.

• DE Von Miller – 1.57 (drafted 2nd overall)
• DE Khalil Mack – 1.56 (drafted 5th overall)
• DE Trey Hendrickson – 1.59 (drafted 103rd overall)
• DE Jared Verse – 1.60 (drafted 19th overall)
• DE Austin Booker – 1.67 (drafted 144th overall)
• DT Byron Murphy – 1.69 (drafted 16th overall)
• DT Braden Fiske – 1.68 (drafted 39th overall)
• DT Devonte Wyatt – 1.66 (drafted 28th overall)
• DT Milton Williams – 1.65 (drafted 73rd overall)

3. Top 20-yard shuttle times for offensive linemen

The Bears really only have one position of need on the offensive line and that’s adding some left tackle competition following Ozzy Trapilo’s injury. But, it doesn’t hurt to add more depth either. Ben Johnson’s offense is best suited for athletic offensive linemen who can move in space in the run game. The best way to track those kind of players will be on Sunday during the 20-yard shuttle with the magic number being 4.47 or better, via Josh Norris.

Here are some of the top offensive line prospects that achieved that during recent NFL Combines.

• Tanor Bortolini – 4.28 (drafted 117th overall)
• Amarius Mims – 4.33 (drafted 18th overall)
• Dominick Puni – 4.40 (drafted 86th overall)
• Dylan McMahon – 4.33 (drafted 190th overall)
• Abraham Lucas – 4.40 (drafted 72nd overall)
• Zion Johnson – 4.46 (drafted 17th overall)
• Zach Tom – 4.47 (drafted 140th overall)
• Joseph Noteboom – 4.44 (drafted 89th overall)
• Joel Bitonio – 4.44 (drafted 35th overall)

It's NFL Combine week!

and in 2026, athletic testing can still be a player evaluation cheat code for NFL Teams ?

when applied correctly — like OL posting a short shuttle time of 4.47 seconds or betterhttps://t.co/18vOIzmWlV pic.twitter.com/BU4PMiD9pE

— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) February 23, 2026

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