There's never a bad time in the year to do an NFL mock draft and see the different opinions on what the Chicago Bears should do.
At the beginning of the season, most Bears fans thought the team would be picking in the middle of the 2026 NFL Draft, but after a solid 8-3 season so far, things might look a bit different as they could be lower in the draft. That would put general manager Ryan Poles and the company to work on finding those hidden gems.
If the Bears do pick lower, who could they get to help take this team to the next level?
Chicago Bears' 2026 Mock Draft
First Round: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Standing at a monstrous 6-foot-7 and 369 pounds, Proctor is the prototypical left tackle who has been dominating at the position for years. He was a second-team All-SEC selection last year at Alabama.
Braxton Jones failed at the beginning of the season and is now on IR. Theo Benedet had some lovely moments, but struggles in pass protection, while rookie second-round pick Ozzy Trapilo looked great in the Week 12 Pittsburgh Steelers game. He's got too short a resume to trust him completely. Proctor would be an upgrade and a day-one starter at left tackle.
Second Round: Cashius Howell, EDGE, Texas A&M
Fast, athletic, and relentless, Howell is one of the top pass rushers in college football this season. He's got 11.5 sacks, which leads the SEC, through 11 games, and has 13 tackles for loss and six pass deflections.
Dayo Odeyingbo already looks like a free agent bust after one sack through eight games, and Austin Booker could be good, but is too inconsistent to trust as the second edge rusher to Montez Sweat. Howell is another who would be a day-one starter but might need some development and time to grow technically.
Read more: Bears' latest Week 13 injury report has fans preparing for impending doom at LB
Third Round: Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State
Allen isn't going to blow anyone away on speed or athleticism, but he's a pure runner with great vision who has outplayed Nicholas Singleton, who was supposed to be the star back at Penn State. In 11 games, Allen has rushed for 1,077 yards and a Big Ten-high 14 touchdowns.
D'Andre Swift has had a tremendous bounce-back season, but the emergence of rookie seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai has made it easier to move on from Swift in the offseason. Allen is a cheaper option who would be an excellent RB2 to Monanagai.