Chicago Bears
2026 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
WR Kalif Raymond, OT Jedrick Wills, C Garrett Bradbury, DT Neville Gallimore, DT Kentavius Street, ILB Devin Bush, S Coby Bryant, S Cam Lewis.
Early Draft Picks:
S Dillon Thieneman, C Logan Jones, WR Zavion Thomas, TE Sam Roush, CB Malik Muhammad. Bears Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
WR D.J. Moore, WR Olamide Zaccheaus, TE Durham Smythe, C Drew Dalman, C Ryan Bates, DT Andrew Billings, DT Chris illiams, OLB Joe Tryon, OLB Dominique Robinson, ILB Tremaine Edmunds, ILB D’Marco Jackson, CB Nahshon Wright, CB Elijah Hicks, S Jaquan Brisker, S Kevin Byard.
2026 Chicago Bears Offense:
The Bears figured to improve offensively under the guidance of new head coach Ben Johnson, but even the most enthusiastic Chicago supporters couldn’t have envisioned what transpired in 2025. The Bears went from averaging a mere 18.2 points per game in 2024 to 25.7 last year. They were a full touchdown better, as Caleb Williams looked like a completely different quarterback. Williams no longer held the ball for an eternity and took unnecessary sacks. He played great football for the most part.
It helped Williams that his offensive line greatly improved. The Bears made a number of changes last offseason, bringing in four new starting blockers: Ozzy Trapilo, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. However, there’s cause for concern for Chicago because two of those linemen won’t be available in 2026. Dalman shocked everyone by retiring at just 27. Trapilo, meanwhile, ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoff victory against the Packers, so he won’t play at least until 2027. Their replacements are underwhelming, to say the least. The new center is the pedestrian Garrett Bradbury, who was woeful for the Patriots last year. Second-round rookie Logan Jones could challenge him for the job. Left tackle, meanwhile, will be manned by Jedrick Wills, who was run out of Cleveland for his poor work ethic and regression.
The outlook is better for the rest of Chicago’s offensive line, though there has to be a concern with Joe Thuney’s age, given that the versatile lineman turns 34 in November. Jackson should once again enjoy a quality season. And then there’s right tackle Darnell Wright, a terrific blocker who has certainly lived up to his first-round billing.
The Bears suffered another loss to their receiver group, as D.J. Moore was traded to the Bills for a second-round pick. This departure will be less impactful, however, as Moore didn’t really gel in Johnson’s offense last year. He was an afterthought most weeks, with Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Colston Loveland commanding most of the target share. Odunze is a great talent who was bothered by an injury last season, so he should bounce back and have a great third year. Burden, meanwhile, figures to be very productive as Johnson’s slot receiver. And as for Loveland, he had a slow start to his career, but put together some massive performances down the stretch, including the playoffs.
While there were changes to the offensive line and receiver corps, the backfield remained static this offseason. The Bears utilized a two-man backfield last season comprised of D’Andre Swift and rookie Kyle Monangai. Swift and Monangai ranked third and fifth in yards before contact, respectively, indicating how much they were able to benefit from an elite offensive line. That could change with Dalman and Trapilo being unavailable, but Johnson is renowned for creating stellar rushing attacks, so the two Chicago backs should continue to be productive in 2026.
2026 Chicago Bears Defense:
Despite Chicago’s offense exploding for 25.7 points per game in 2025, the Bears played many close contests. They outscored the opposition by only 1.4 points per game. The defense was a mess at times, particularly regarding the pass rush.
The Bears maintained one of the worst quarterback pressure rates in the NFL. Only four Chicago players logged more than 1.5 sacks, and just two recorded more than three. The only consistent pressure Chicago had was from Montez Sweat, but in a shocking turn of events, the Bears didn’t find a viable bookend for him. Dayo Odeyingbo will get another shot, but he was a major disappointment as an acquisition last offseason. There’s also Austin Booker, a recent fifth-round pick, who had 4.5 sacks in 2025.
Chicago was also tasked with upgrading the defensive interior this offseason, but that’s another position that was ignored aside from some depth signings. Gervon Dexter provided six sacks from that area, but the Bears’ play at defensive tackle was otherwise dismal last year. Starting next to Dexter is Grady Jarrett, who already showed major signs of decline last season at 32. Now a year older, Jarrett figures to be even worse.
The defensive line was far from the only problem area on Chicago’s defense. The Bears lost both starting safeties, Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, this offseason. This was a spot that was actually addressed, with Chicago signing Coby Bryant away from the Seahawks and then using a first-round pick on Dillon Thieneman. Bryant performed on a high level for the Seahawks last season, while Thieneman is an extremely athletic prospect with major upside.
The best player in the secondary will continue to be Jaylon Johnson, a premier cornerback who was limited to just seven games last year due to injury. He’s likely to rebound, and he’ll continue to start opposite Tyrique Stevenson, who has had some high ceilings and low floors throughout his career. Kyler Gordon, another cornerback who was limited last year because of injury, will reprise his role in the slot.
At linebacker, the Bears lost another player with Tremaine Edmunds signing elsewhere. A new starter was needed next to the excellent T.J. Edwards, so the Bears signed Devin Bush, who is coming off a great season with the Browns.
2026 Chicago Bears Schedule and Intangibles:
Cairo Santos was 25-of-30 last year, hitting 4-of-6 from 50-plus.
In an effort to fix their punting problems, the Bears reached for a punter in fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Tory Taylor out of Iowa. Taylor was just 26th in net punting average last year.
The Bears have a first-place schedule, but they also get to battle the NFC South, so they have a mixed schedule overall. Their tougher non-divisional games are against the Eagles, Bills, Patriots, Seahawks, and Jaguars.
2026 Chicago Bears Rookies:
Go here for the Bears Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2026 Chicago Bears Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
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Projection: 11-6 (TBA in NFC North)
2025 Projection: 7-10. 2025 Actual Result: 11-6.
2024 Projection: 9-8. 2024 Actual Result: 5-12.
2023 Projection: 7-10. 2023 Actual Result: 7-10.
2022 Projection: 1-16. 2022 Actual Result: 3-14.
2021 Projection: 6-11. 2021 Actual Result: 6-11.
2020 Projection: 3-13. 2020 Actual Result: 8-8.
2019 Projection: 11-5. 2019 Actual Result: 8-8.
2018 Projection: 10-6. 2018 Actual Result: 12-4.
2017 Projection: 4-12. 2017 Actual Result: 5-11.
2016 Projection: 8-8. 2016 Actual Result: 3-13.
NFL Draft Team Grade: C Grade
Goals Entering the 2026 NFL Draft: The Bears had one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL last year. Their pressure rate was in the bottom five, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they spend the five picks they have in the top 129 on multiple edge rushers and defensive tackles. Chicago must also address its secondary and find a left tackle and center.
2026 NFL Draft Accomplishments: The Bears made seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and yet none of them scored better than a B+. Even worse, the Bears neglected their top positions of need – edge rusher and defensive tackle – throughout the entire draft. I understand that defensive tackle as a tough position to address because this was a terrible class for that position, but there were plenty of edge rushers Chicago could have taken to improve its ability to generate quarterback pressure.
Chicago did not have a success draft, but it made some decent picks. Dillon Thieneman is an athletic, instinctive safety who could have been chosen a bit earlier than No. 25. Logan Jones is a strong center who excels in run blocking, and he might end up being a quality starter. Sam Roush is a skilled tight end, though he didn’t fill a need at all. Cornerback Malik Muhammad also has talent, though he needs to bulk up for the NFL.
While it’s disappointing that the Bears didn’t obtain a pass rusher, they made enough decent selections to avoid a poor grade.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
25. Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon – B Grade
Keldric Faulk fell right into the Bears’ laps, but so did Dillon Thieneman. Sort of. Thieneman was expected to be drafted earlier, but safeties fall, so Thieneman being available isn’t a surprise. Thieneman will be a nice upgrade for the Bears at safety, but they should have considered other players for their dreadful pass rush. They’ll have an opportunity to do so in the second round.
57. Logan Jones, C, Iowa – B Grade
This is a solid pick. The Bears needed a center after losing their starter to an unexpected retirement. Garrett Bradbury was signed, but he sucks. Logan Jones is a strong run blocker, so I’m not surprised that Ben Johnson drafted him. Jones needs to improve his pass protection, so he’s a bit of a project in that regard.
69. Sam Roush, TE, Stanford – C Grade
The good news concerning this pick is that Sam Roush is a quality, productive player who provides good value because he easily could’ve gone in the seocnd round. The bad news is that this doesn’t fill a need at all. I know Ben Johnson likes his tight ends, but they should have focused more on their flawed defense.
89. Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU – C Grade
Zavion Thomas is not much of a receiver because he can’t run routes. What he can do is generate exploive kick returns, so I have to think this is primarily a special teams pick. That’s fine, but not an amazing use of resources in the third round.
124. Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas – B+ Grade
Malik Muhammad could’ve gone a bit earlier than this, so I can understand why the Bears traded up for him. Muhammad needs to bulk up, but he’s a talented cornerback who can fill a need.
166. Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State – B Grade
Keyshaun Elliott is a dangerous blitzer and a versatile linebacker. The Bears lost a linebacker during the offseason, so they needed a replacement. I had Elliott going six picks earlier, so the range makes sense.
213. Jordan Van Den Berg, DT, Georgia – C Grade
Jordan Van Den Berg is a world-class athlete, but is very raw. I had him as a UDFA-type prospect, so I didn’t have him in my mock draft. The Bears are at least addressing a need in a very weak class at the position.
Fantasy Football Rankings - June 22
2027 NFL Mock Draft - June 16
NFL Picks - Feb. 9
NFL Power Rankings - Jan. 26
NFL Draft Links:
2003 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/8/08)
My 2004 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2004 NFL Draft Prospects/ 2004 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/6/08)
My 2005 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2005 NFL Draft Prospects
2005 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded 6/4/08)
My 2006 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3
2006 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/28)
2006 NFL Draft Grades (Re-graded on 7/3)
My 2007 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/ Round 4/ Round 5/ Round 6/ Round 7
Other 2007 Mock Drafts:April Fools
2007 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 4/24)/Kenny Ortiz's Top 40 Prospects
2007 NFL Combine and Pro Day Results
2007 NFL Draft Grades
2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 / Round 2/ Round 3/Round 4/Round 5/Round 6/Round 7
Alternative 2008 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/7): Round 1 /Round 2
2008 NFL Re-Draft - Round 3 (UPDATED 4/27)
2008 NFL Draft Prospects (UPDATED 8/5)
Other 2008 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/25)/ Craig Smith (4/22)/ Emmitt Smith (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Shocker (4/21)/ Matt McGuire Backwards (4/19)/ Forum Mock (4/15)/ April Fools (4/1)
2009 Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2009 Mock Drafts: Re-Draft (4/26) /Matt McGuire (4/25) /Reader Mock (4/25) /Hunter Ansley (4/24) /Backward Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Smith (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/9) /April Fools (4/1) /Experts (3/30) /KFFL (3/14)
2010 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/22): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 3 (4/24): Round 4 (Walt's) / Round 4 (Matt's)
2010 NFL Mock Re-Draft Day 2 (4/23): Round 2 (Walt's) / Round 3 (Walt's) / Round 2 (Matt's) / Round 3 (Matt's)
Other 2010 Mock Drafts: Matt McGuire (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Celebrity Mock (4/8) /Experts (3/17) /Reader (4/13) /Consensus (2/25)
2011 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2011 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 2 /Round 3
Other 2011 Mock Drafts: Free Agency (5/9) /Greg Cox (4/28) /Backward Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/21) /Team Big Boards (4/21) /Celebrity Mock (4/13) /Experts (4/7) /Not Mock (4/6) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Greg Cox's 2012 Mock (2/22) /Matt McGuire (1/8)
2012 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2012 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2012 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Pick History (4/23) /Emmitt Mock (4/19) /Not Mock (4/19) /Backward Mock (4/17) /Celebrity (4/15) /Goals (4/10) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Greg Cox (9/9)
2013 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2013 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2013 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /GM Mock (4/21) /Charlie's Trade Mock (4/20) /Goals (4/19) /Rapid Reader Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/14) /Not Mock (4/13) /Pick History (4/5) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Archived 2013 NFL Mock Drafts
2014 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATE 5/8): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2014 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/10): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2014 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/8) /Goals (5/3) /Not Mock (4/27) /Emmitt Mock (4/20) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Celebrity Mock (4/11) /Backward Mock (4/4) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2015 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2015 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/2): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2015 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/30) /Goals (4/25) /Not Mock (4/19) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/3) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/5) /Overreaction Mock (12/29)
2016 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2016 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2016 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Combo (5/8) /Goals (4/23) /Not Mock (4/22) /Emmitt Mock (4/17) /Trades Mock (4/16) /Celebrity Mock (4/10) /Backward Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/6) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2017 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2017 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2017 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Combo (5/7) /Goals (4/22) /Not Mock (4/21) /Emmitt Mock (4/16) /Backward Mock (4/9) /Celebrity Mock (4/7) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/7) /Overreaction Mock (1/2)
2018 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/26): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2018 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2018 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/26) /Combo (5/6) /Goals (4/21) /Not Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /Trades Mock (4/13) /Backward Mock (4/8) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Reader Mock /Free Agent Mock (3/11) /Senior Bowl (1/27)
2019 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2019 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2019 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /Combo (5/5) /Goals (4/20) /Not Mock (4/18) /Witten Mock (4/14) /Trades Mock (4/12) /Emmitt Mock (4/7) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/10) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/26) /Video Mock (1/8) /Overreaction Mock (12/31)
2020 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2020 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2020 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23) /Combo (5/3) /Goals (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/12) /Trades Mock (4/8) /Backward Mock (4/5) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Free Agent Mock (3/16) /Corey Long (3/13) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/27) /Overreaction Mock (12/30)
2021 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2021 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 5/1): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2021 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (5/17) /Goals (4/23) /Backward Mock (4/18) /Emmitt Mock (4/11) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (1/30) /Overreaction Mock (1/4)
2022 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/28): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2022 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/30): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2022 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/28) /Goals (4/22) /Backward Mock (4/20) /Emmitt Mock (4/15) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/5) /Overreaction Mock (1/10)
2023 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/27): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
2023 NFL Mock Re-Draft (UPDATED 4/29): Walt Round 4 /Walt Round 5 /Charlie Round 4 /Charlie Round 5 /Walt Round 2 /Walt Round 3 /Charlie Round 2 /Charlie Round 3
Other 2023 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/27) /Backward Mock (4/19) /April Fools Mock (4/1) /Senior Bowl Mock (2/4) /Overreaction Mock (1/9)
2024 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/25): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6
Other 2024 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/25) /April Fools Mock (3/31)
2025 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/24): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/24)
2026 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 4/23): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2 /Round 3 /Round 4 /Round 5 /Round 6 /Round 7
Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23)
2027 NFL Mock Draft (UPDATED 6/16): Round 1 /Picks 17-32 /Round 2
Other 2027 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (7/13)
2021 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2020 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2019 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2018 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2017 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2016 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2015 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2014 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2013 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2012 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2011 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2010 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2009 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2008 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2007 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2006 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2005 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2004 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2003 NFL Draft Re-Mock / 2002 NFL Draft Re-Mock

Walt
Charlie Campbell