For many Chicago Bears fans, they think the decision for who the team should pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is as simple as it gets for them.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has plenty of positions to address, but the defensive line has been the number one position of need going into the offseason. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper shared his new mock draft, where he has Poles making that call with Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald.
"It's probably a little early for Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, Clemson's T.J. Parker or Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas. The Bears obviously need more edge rush support, but the board just isn't lining up. But with Gervon Dexter Sr. signed for only one more season and Grady Jarrett turning 33 in April, it would make sense to pad the defensive tackle group. McDonald is actually the DT1 on my Big Board, and he has a nose for the football. He had 17 run stops in 2025. Having him on the interior would be huge for a Bears team that allowed 5.0 yards per carry last season (fourth worst)."
Bears select Kayden McDonald in Mel Kiper's mock draft
McDonald is one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL Draft and dominated during his time with the Buckeyes, earning unanimous All-American honors, Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year, and first-team All-Big Ten honors. He finished the 2025 season with 65 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one pass deflection, and one fumble recovery.
The Bears have a glaring problem on the defensive line with Jarrett being a massive disappointment of a free agent signing last offseason. Dexter was second on the team in sacks with six, but still needs more depth at the position with several tackles about to be free agents.
While some Bears fans would rather have the team address edge rusher in the draft, the hope is that they can land a big fish like Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby before the draft. Once they can get an elite edge rusher on a long-term deal, they can get their defensive tackle in the first round.
Read more: No one can any longer dispute Bears' biggest need going into NFL Combine
Chicago hopes they can get their defensive line fixed in the NFL Draft, and McDonald would be a great pick to do that.