The 2026 NFL Combine has come to a close for the Chicago Bears.
We are less than two weeks away from the official start to the 2026 NFL offseason, and "legal tampering" will be here even sooner. No matter what Ryan Poles and the Bears do in free agency leading up to the NFL Draft, the outcome of a very recent Pro Football Focus mock draft might be exactly what this team needs. Consider it a dream scenario for the Bears. This mock draft represents the exact retooling the Bears need to achieve even greater and sustained success for years to come.
Before we dive into exactly what Pro Football Focus (PFF) chose to do in this mock draft, let's discuss what needs the Chicago Bears have heading into the offseason. Defensive line is obviously a clear need. Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett are the only notable names on the roster heading into the offseason, and neither of them is likely to move the needle enough to feel comfortable with them as the main focal points of the team's interior defensive line. On the outside, Montez Sweat had a bounce-back season in 2025, and Austin Booker showed flashes, but who else can you trust?
Outside of the defensive line, it's also obvious that safety is a need. The team doesn't have a single safety under contract as the new year kicks off. Dennis Allen and Ryan Poles may need to get creative with this one, but it's clear that addressing the position through the draft and free agency will be a priority. Similar to the safety position, linebacker is another big need. Tremaine Edmunds is likely to be traded or released. After recently cutting Amen Ogbongbemiga, that would leave T.J. Edwards, Noah Sewell (Achilles), and Rueben Hippolyte. That is not going to work.
Left tackle has become a bit of a need with Ozzy Trapilo set to miss most of the upcoming season. Theo Benedet wasn't good enough to be counted on for a full 17 games. Corner is the other sneaky need I can see being addressed in the 2026 NFL Draft. It is obvious that the team has some major holes to fill, but most of them are on the defensive side of the ball. How PFF addressed these needs, and the players they ended up with in this mock draft, are nearly perfect, no matter who is added to the roster during free agency. Note: No trades were allowed.
Pro Football Focus 3-Round Mock Draft
1st Round (25): Lee Hunter, DT - Texas Tech
To kick off the mock draft, the Chicago Bears walk away with a defensive tackle who has some major upside. Lee Hunter has seen his stock rise over the last two months.
His performance at the Senior Bowl answered some early questions about the big man, and he continued to prove his ability at the NFL Combine. Hunter offers some serious versatility as both a one-tech and a three-tech in an even front. He has more pass-rush upside than some of the other top defensive tackle prospects who project more as just a one-tech.
Hunter is explosive off the ball for a man his size. At 6-foot-3 and 320 pounds, Hunter can fill up the A-gap in the run game or use his strength to push the interior backwards. His hand usage and pad level can be inconsistent. His physical prowess comes with limitations, too.
Conditioning will be a high priority for whichever team drafts Hunter. If he maintains a high fitness level, then the team that drafts Hunter will land one of the highest-upside prospects in this draft class.
Personally, I would prefer Kayden McDonald. Peter Woods is my top defensive tackle prospect and was off the board in this mock, but PFF chose to select Hunter over McDonald.
McDonald has a very high floor. His anchor is like none other at the position in this draft class. He can take on double teams, shed blocks, and use his athleticism to move laterally down the line. McDonald is said to have less pass-rush upside than most in this class, but I personally think he brings more to this part of the game than people give him credit.
Either option at 25 would be a dream start to the 2026 Draft. One other option I would have considered here is defensive end Zion Young.
2nd Round (57): Jake Golday, LB - Cincinnati
Do not let his 40 time fool you. Jake Golday has great sideline-to-sideline speed. Golday is the perfect replacement for Tremaine Edmunds. He can start as the MIKE in year one. He is a sure tackler who hits hard and wraps up well. His coverage skills are solid as well. Golday has a high motor and never seems to take plays off.
Golday has some pass-rush upside as well, although not much. He is a converted defensive end who has shown excellent growth as an off-the-ball linebacker. This is mainly because he couldn't produce as an edge rusher.
Landing Golday at 57 would be amazing. I'm not even confident he lasts that long. Personally, I have a high, second-round grade on him. If added to the Chicago Bears roster, paired with Lee Hunter (or Kayden McDonald), the two would instantly improve one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last year.
I cannot speak as well to who else was available because they didn't show many other options. Nevertheless, I would have locked in Golday anyway.
3rd Round (89): Genesis Smith, S - Arizona
Finally, the Chicago Bears land a safety to help fill a huge void on the roster. PFF chose Genesis Smith.
Smith is a lengthy safety at 6-foot-2 and just over 200 pounds. He has very fluid hips for his size, allowing him to shift between deep routes or coverage underneath. Smith brings versatility to the position as well, proving he can play as the strong safety, free safety, or even step in as a nickel corner if needed.
Smith has shown high football IQ. He isn't the fastest guy out there, and that is one reason I'm not convinced the Bears would take him at 89 — at least not over the other safety available in this mock. More on him later.
That said, his football acumen allows him to read and diagnose plays in a way that makes up for his lack of long speed. Unfortunately, he is very inconsistent in his tackling and run-stopping abilities. What I can say is that if the Chicago Bears landed Smith in the third round, it would be the best third-round pick of Ryan Poles' career.
Now, if I were running the mock draft, I would have gone safety, too. However, I would have preferred Zakee Wheatley out of Penn State. Ryan Poles made it known that he wants the defense to get faster, and Wheatley brings exactly that to the table.
Read more: Bears wouldn't mind getting this solid proposed mock trade for Tremaine Edmunds
He has blazing 4.4 speed, and it shows up on film. Wheatley, too, has solid hip fluidity for his size and does a great job reading quarterbacks. He is a downhill thumper who brings versatility to play the position as Dennis Allen would like to see it played. Go turn on his tape vs Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. It's phenomenal. He just needs more consistency.