New Bears mock draft has them righting the wrongs of Grady Jarrett

The Chicago Bears are going to want to address the defensive line early and often in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. So, almost all fans will be happy with the selection that ESPN's Jordan Reid gave the team in his first mock draft after the NFL Combine.

Reid has the Bears selecting Peter Woods, a defensive tackle from Clemson.

"The Bears badly need a disruptive defensive tackle, so let's give them my top-ranked player at the position. Despite not having the 2025 season that many envisioned (30 tackles and two sacks), Woods still showed plenty of Round 1 flashes. He's a bouncy athlete at 6-foot-3, 298 pounds who fits best as a 3-technique. His ability to create quick wins from the inside as an explosive penetrator is something that is sorely lacking in Chicago."
Jordan Reid

Is Peter Woods the perfect fit for the Chicago Bears?

This is going to be a popular selection in the next few weeks, and it may be one of the best outcomes for the Bears. Before the NFL Combine, the question about Woods was whether or not he would fall so far that the Bears had a chance.

Woods was a projected top ten lock before the season. He was not as great in 2025 as in 2024, but his talent still flashed, and he was still young and productive. However, questions linger around how high a ceiling he has.

A lot of his upside is based on his athletic potential. However, he did not work at all at the NFL combine, only raising questions about just how athletic he is. Beyond that, his arm length came in a bit shorter than expected. It is not disqualifying, but it is not a strength in any sense and is slightly below average.

So, Woods is not the slam-dunk, top-20 prospect many thought. He is not a bad prospect, though. At pick 25, there is a strong chance that the player overlaps the combination of need and the best player available.

He is not quite a top 20 player, but still right on the outside, so any pick after that would be sensible. He should not get out of the first round. The Bears may be trading Gervon Dexter, and both Andrew Billings and Grady Jarrett are getting too old. The team needs to overhaul the defensive front.

The only question now is whether Woods works out at his Pro Day, and whether that is enough to push him back inside the top 20. Right now, most mocks will put his floor at the Bears.