After last season, it is abundantly clear what the Chicago Bears need to do in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
Of course, free agency comes first, so we'll see how many dire needs are filled by general manager Ryan Poles. The one thing we know is that those needs are almost all on the defensive side of the ball. The Bears could bring back all of their offensive starters and be just fine (assuming we can call Theo Benedet a starter until Ozzy Trapilo is back).
As for that defensive side, though, Dennis Allen has to be pounding the table for some fresh blood -- and so is this fan base. So, let's get to it.
Our latest 2026 NFL mock draft gives Allen and the fan base exactly what they want.
This 3-round mock draft gives Dennis Allen the kind of core Bears fans have been begging for
With their very first pick, the Bears go with a defensive lineman who draws comparisons to a player like Christian Wilkins. For a team that needs to add difference makers on defense, this is a heck of a way to start.
Some experts have Peter Woods inside their top 20 prospects, so for the Bears to get him at no. 25 overall is a huge value. In Woods, the Bears get the anchor of that defensive line. He is as powerful as any guy at his position in this class and brings explosive power as well.
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound Clemson product had a better season in 2024 than he did in 2025, but that could be a blessing in disguise. All the tools are still there, and his monstrous 8.5 tackles for loss in 2024 are indicative of a guy who can come in and be a force right away.
In Round 2, Poles doesn't stray too far from Woods and continues to add to his defensive line by selecting Derrick Moore, the Michigan Wolverines defensive end, to help boost the pass rush opposite Montez Sweat.
We can talk about Dayo Odeyingbo being a disappointment or Austin Booker looking like a serviceable player, but this is about Moore. The Michigan product could very well wind up taking Odeyingbo's job within his first year in Chicago, and Bears fans would be thrilled to see that happen.
Moore comes to the NFL as a pure pass rusher. He offers a fantastic bull rush and is the type of rusher who will surely finish the play once his momentum gets going. He isn't easy to stop at full speed, and because of his football IQ, he's often one step ahead of his opposing blocker.
With the 57th pick, the Bears bring in one of the better defensive linemen when it comes to pass breakups as well. He's great at getting his hands up, and he's also known for living in the back field, with 10.0 sacks last year.
Guess what? We're staying on defense.
In Round 3 and with the 89th overall pick, the Bears go with a second Big Ten player in a row in Ohio State's cornerback Davison Igbinosun. The 6-foot-2 Buckeye offers incredible size at the position and, ideally, will give Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen a long-term option at the position.
We'll have to see what happens with free-agent-to-be Nahshon Wright and whether the team sticks with Tyrique Stevenson, if not Wright. But Igbinosun is a luxury pick at this point who could turn out to be a long-term staple.
Over his last two seasons, Igbinosun has 17 pass breakups and four picks. But, along with his ball skills, Igbinosun is unafraid of some contact and loves to help out in the run game.
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For what it's worth, if we were doing a full 7-round draft, here are the rest of the picks:
Round 4 Pick 129: Kyle Louis, LB, Pittsburgh
Round 5 Pick 163: Skyler Gill-Howard, DL, Texas Tech
Round 7 Pick 239: Noah Whittington, RB, Oregon
Round 7 Pick 241: Trey Moore, DE, Texas