Latest 2026 NFL Bears mock draft continues obvious trend fans know is coming

The NFL media world thinks the Chicago Bears need to upgrade their defensive line.

That’s what a majority of the mock drafts have general manager Ryan Poles doing with the No. 25 overall pick. It makes complete sense.

Although the Bears had a successful first season under Ben Johnson, the defense struggled at times. The unit allowed the 27th-most rushing yards in the NFL (2,287) and generated only 189 quarterback pressures, which ranked 25th in the league.

There is plenty to improve, and that’s why a defensive lineman makes a lot of sense for the Bears. Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema released his post-Senior Bowl first-round mock draft, and he had the Bears selecting Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter.

“Hunter made a case for the prospect who had the best overall week at the Senior Bowl. He was impactful in team drills and one-on-ones as a run stopper and a pass rusher. He was good at UCF in years prior, but he really took his game to the next level at Texas Tech this past season, earning an 84.5 PFF run-defense grade and a 75.0 PFF pass-rush grade against true pass sets. His Senior Bowl momentum brings him into Round 1 conversations.”

Bears predicted to get Texas Tech's Lee Hunter

There are some reps from the Senior Bowl practices that validate Hunter is well worth a first-round pick. Hunter spent his first three seasons at UCF. From 2022-24, the 6-foot-4, 330-pound defensive tackle registered 54 total quarterback pressures and had one sack in each season. He also finished with a career high of 48 tackles in his sophomore year.

In his senior season at Texas Tech, Hunter finished with his overall best season, according to PFF’s grades. Hunter set career highs for his overall defensive grade (80.5), run grade (82.7), pass rush (74.3), and coverage (71.4). The Texas Red Raider ended with 25 total quarterback pressures, two sacks, and 16 tackles.

According to PFF, Hunter played most of his snaps (255) in the B gap (the space between the offensive guard and offensive tackle). He also had 149 snaps lined up in the A gap (space between the center and guard).

Hunter profiles as a better run defender than a pass rusher at this moment. But the Bears need help stopping the run as much as they do rushing the passer. Hunter would provide defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with a space-eating interior defender who could help open up opportunities for his teammates.