Going into the 2026 NFL Draft, it is hard to know just what options the Chicago Bears will have at pick no. 25 overall. In this draft, nothing is guaranteed outside of the no. 1 overall pick being quarterback Fernando Mendoza going to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Bears have a few key needs, of course, and one of them has been a nagging hole for a while now. This defense has to get another pass rusher, and he has to be good enough to start opposite Montez Sweat (forget about Dayo Odeyingbo).
In his latest piece over on ESPN, NFL expert and columnist Bill Barnwell tossed out an idea for the Bears to be able to do exactly that. His no. 1 trade idea, for the Bears, is to jump all the way up from pick 25 to no. 16 with the. New York Jets:
"Packaging No. 25 with the 60th pick they landed from the Bills should be enough to get the Bears up to No. 16, where the Jets could be interested in trading down and adding more selections. They would also jump the Lions in the process, a division rival that should be looking at edge rushers with their first selection."
Chicago Bears fans would be celebrating while the Detroit Lions fan base is stuck wondering what happened
First and foremost, a trade like this might split the fan base. Trading away that second-round pick -- the one acquired from the DJ Moore trade -- would be a hefty price. The player selected would have to make it worth it.
Looking at the crop of first-round pass rushers, though, it truly could be. At no. 16, the Bears probably won't have a chance to get Rueben Bain Jr., who could drop close to pick 10, if not just a pick or two after that.
But, Chicago would be well within range to grab someone like Akheem Mesidor, Keldric Faulk, or T.J. Parker. You could even throw in Zion Young and Cashius Howell as well, depending upon where Ryan Poles might have them on his board.
Barnwell went on about this potential scenario, once more highlighting how the Bears could leapfrog a rival in Detroit:
"There's nothing wrong with staying put and holding on to both second-rounders, of course, but this could be an opportunity for Poles to both hit his biggest position of need and steal an opportunity away from a divisional foe in the process."
In this specific instance, fans would have to hope there's a key player both the Bears and Lions want. Do they have Mesidor higher than everyone else on their board? Is he the guy?
Could be.
Regardless of which prospect it is, though, the main point would be to not only fill a huge need within this roster, but also stick it to the Lions. Detroit has also wanted another top-tier player to pair with Aidan Hutchinson, which is a scary proposition in and of itself.
The Bears, meanwhile, don't have anyone close to Hutchinson's talent level. That's the area fans have been extremely tired of watching for the past 3-4 years. Chicago has to find another pass rusher.
Read more: 5 realistic draft day scenarios that could trigger a major Bears roster shakeup
Will it be via trade, and in the first round of the upcoming draft? Will they rip the hearts out of Detroit fans?
Add us as a preferred source on Google