We haven't even gotten into the full-fledged free agency frenzy yet, and the Chicago Bears have already made headlines with some massive news.
Starting center Drew Dalman announced his retirement from the league at just 27 years old, leaving the Bears to find a replacement. While this came as a surprise to many, it doesn't appear as though general manager Ryan Poles is "scrambling" to figure out his backup plan.
Already, we've seen reports of the Bears hosting free agent Tyler Biadasz, who was recently released by the Washington Commanders in effort to save some cash. Also, it was reported that the Bears were monitoring free agent Tyler Linderbaum.
In a nutshell: Poles knew this was coming and he has a plan. Bears fans, no need to worry about the center position. Dalman's replacement is already in the works.
With that said, the Bears' priorities don't change much in our latest mock draft. However, we do see some early action and a huge value for the Bears right away.
The Chicago Bears trade out of pick 25 to start the latest 2026 mock draft
To begin with, the Patriots come calling at pick no. 25 and offer the Bears a third rounder in order to move up. Poles doesn't blink, here, and happily accepts.
With their first pick now coming at no. 31 overall, the Bears take arguably the draft's second-best safety after Caleb Downs in Toledo's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Between he and Oregon's Dillon Thieneman, experts will argue back and forth which is better.
Both are phenomenal prospects, and McNeil-Warren will step in and immediately become a difference maker at the position. The 6-foot-3 safety possesses obvious size, but with 4.52 speed, he brings the best of both worlds.
McNeil-Warren is a phsyical, aggressive safety who excels at knocking the football loose. He's a willing run defender and will lay a nice "pop" on opposing receivers, as well. He's an immediate game changer for Dennis Allen's defense.
A Georgia Bulldogs defender? Yes, please. Ryan Poles adds to his defensive front, with pick no. 57 in the second round, by selecting Cristen MIller.
Miller has room to keep growing as a space-eating run defender, but already at 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds, he brings some good size to the line as it is. Even from the interior, he's amassed 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks in his last three years, so the ability to work back into the back field is there.
He is a heavy hitter with powerful, violent hands. Again, adding more weight will be a priority as he's got room for improvement within his anchor ability. But, Miller is immediately an integral part of this rebuilding line.
For those asking why the Bears haven't yet addressed edge rusher in the first two picks, I have two simple answers: Poles will have done this in free agency already, establishing another starter opposite Montez Sweat, and he's also sticking with best player available, which is what we're trying to do here as well.
Everything Bears fans were hoping to see in terms of coverage prowess out of Tremaine Edmunds is exactly what Kyle Louis will bring to this defense. Sure, Edmunds had his fair share of picks, but he was very often behind on plays.
In the third round, here, the Bears find their Edmunds replacement. Louis is one of the more athletically-gifted players at linebacker, in this draft, and comes in with the second-highest athleticism score at his position, according to draft expert Lance Zierlein.
In short, Louis is a playmaker. He isn't a one-trick pony. This guy posted a whopping 25.5 tackles for loss, 10.0 sacks, six interceptions, six pass breakups, two forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries over the last three seasons in college.
The instinctive, ball-hawking Louis is precisely what the Bears want in the middle.
To round out our three-Round mock, the Bears take the best player available with their second or third-round pick and go with an offensive tackle who may be able to come in and provide a starting-caliber player while Ozzy Trapilo recovers.
Florida's Austin Barber has a lot of what Ben Johnson wants in an offensive lineman, starting with the fact that he is highly athletic. A former basketball player, Barber stands 6-foot-7, 318 pounds, and possesses some of the quickest feet you'll see at his position.
He can grow in terms of overall strength, specifically when it comes to handling bull rushes. Anchor and core strength need to improve, but he's a fantastic mover and could very well come in and challenge for the left tackle spot, at least until Trapilo is healthy.
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For anyone wondering what else the Bears did in this mock, I'll include the final four picks. Do with these what you may.
Round 4, Pick 129: Dontay Corleone, DL, Cincinnati
Round 5, Pick 163: Keyron Crawford, DE, Auburn
Round 7, Pick 239: Barion Brown, WR, LSU
Round 7, Pick 241: Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin