Bears GM Ryan Poles has a clear way to manage his draft arsenal after not receiving compensatory picks for losing Ian Cunningham
The Chicago Bears will not be receiving compensatory draft picks for losing Ian Cunningham, leaving general manager Ryan Poles with seven selections entering the 2026 NFL Draft, as of now.
The Chicago Bears got the bad news they were dreading all week on Friday when the NFL officially decided that the team will not be receiving the two third-round compensatory draft picks for losing assistant general manager Ian Cunningham.
Credit to George McCaskey and Kevin Warren for pushing the league to make a decision, but it was a hopeless fight.
Unfortunately, what’s done is done. And now the Bears head into the 2026 NFL Draft with just seven selections.
- Round 1, Pick 25
- Round 2, Pick 57
- Round 2, Pick 60 (via Buffalo Bills for DJ Moore)
- Round 3, Pick 89
- Round 4, Pick 129
- Round 7, Pick 239
- Round 7, Pick 241
Ryan Poles has a clear path to acquire more draft picks after not receiving a third-round comp pick
It’s still a solid haul to work with but the Bears have a clear path to acquire more draft capital if Poles desires and it’s not by trading out of the first-round. While that’s been a common trend with the 25th overall pick, the Bears are prepared to draft the best player available at 25 and I’d be surprised if Chicago trades back from that spot.
Trading back from 57 or 60, however, is a viable strategy now the Bears should consider. Trading down from 57 or 60 won’t gift Chicago an extra third-round pick they hoped to receive, but the Bears could slide a few spots back from one of those two picks and pick up an extra Day 3 pick. Right now, the Bears have a massive gap between picks 129 and 239, adding a pick in the middle of that range would be ideal.
Here’s what a trade back could potentially look like using the new A to Z Sports Mock Draft Simulator. At pick 57, I was offered pick #65 (third-round) and pick #183 (sixth-round) from the Arizona Cardinals. At pick 60, I was offered pick #69 (third-round) and pick #167 (fifth-round) from the Houston Texans.
That shows the kind of offers the Bears could get for one of their two second-round picks. Depending on what the board looks like in the second-round, this very well could be something the Bears consider.
Chicago Bears News
NFL officially shoots down the Bears hopes of receiving compensatory draft picks for losing Ian Cunningham despite last ditch effort
The NFL is sticking to the initial ruling when it comes to the Chicago Bears receiving two third-round compensatory draft picks for losing former assistant general manager Ian Cunningham to the Atlanta Falcons.
