Another mock draft is now making it crystal clear who Bears need to select

Almost all mock drafts have the Chicago Bears going one of two ways in the 2026 NFL draft. They either have them taking a safety or a pass rusher, and it typically depends on how the board will fall. In a recent The Athletic beat writer mock draft, it followed the same template with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren being the pick.

Dan Wiederer of The Athletic made the pick. He mentioned that the edge rushers that he wanted were selected ahead of the Bears' pick, and he saw the star safety as the can-not-miss prospect.

"One thing has become apparent during all these pre-draft exercises: The menu of players available at No. 25 is consistently appealing. In this instance, the depth of the edge rusher class helps swing things in McNeil-Warren’s favor, with the Bears adding another weapon to the back end of their defense. Speed: check. Size: check. Passion: check. Playmaking ability: check. General manager Ryan Poles has long contended that safety is the hardest position to evaluate for the draft. But energetic, productive players like McNeil-Warren make it easier. His physicality and fluidity will pair well with newcomer Coby Bryant."

The Chicago Bears select a safety in a recent beat writer mock draft

We all know that Avrell Reese, Ruben Bain, and David Bailey are going to get drafted ahead of the Bears' pick, and all of them will be gone around pick 10. How early they go, and how early the fourth rusher goes, will impact what the Bears do with the pick.

In this scenario, all three were gone by pick nine. However, the gap was big as the next edge did not go until pick 22. This is where T.J. Parker from Clemson went. Keldric Faulk from Auburn went right after him. So, these were the only two edge rushers that went ahead of the Bears' selection of McNeil-Warren.

This will be a hotly debated selection, especially since the 26th pick was Cassius Howell and the 27th was Akeem Mesidor. These two teams needed an edge rusher as badly as, if not more than, the Bears, and were praying the Bears would pass on one so they could get their guys. Even R Mason Thomas went after them, making it three edge rushers after the Bears' pick. That lowers the chance that there will be someone they like in round two as well.

This is interesting because McNeil-Warren may be a safer prospect, but it is clear that the other two players are more highly valued, and if they hit, their impact on the game is much greater.

The talk around Chicago would likely be that Ryan Poles continues to pass on edge rushers once again. Can the Bears afford to do that, or should they find a guy they like and take a swing, knowing that it will be hard to find an option otherwise?