Everyone in the Windy City is wondering the same thing about Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles: What is he going to do in the 2026 NFL Draft?
Poles has already hinted that he wants to go with the best available player in the draft, regardless of whether they are on offense or defense. ESPN senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell wrote a mock draft that included all trades, as he had one for the Bears, who are making a bold deal with the Miami Dolphins.
Bears get: 11th overall pick, 151st overall pick, 227th overall pick, 2027 fifth-round pick
Dolphins get: 25th overall pick, 57th overall pick, 2027 second-round pick
Why would the Bears make that kind of aggressive move?
Barnwell explained how the Bears are looking for some top edge rushers from this NFL Draft. He believes that Poles could move up in the draft to ensure he gets one of the top pass rushers if they fall past the top 10.
"Though the Patriots probably won't consider an all-in move, I wonder if Ryan Poles and the Bears might try to be more aggressive. Chicago is missing a bunch of Day 3 picks, but it has two second-round selections after trading DJ Moore to the Bills. The Bears have needs in the secondary and could still try to add another wide receiver for Caleb Williams, but as I mentioned earlier, the position they should be targeting is on the edge, where they would want help for Montez Sweat and a long-term replacement for Dayo Odeyingbo, who can be cut after this season.
Though moving from No. 25 to No. 18 wasn't a drastic jump, going from 25 to 11 would be a much more significant climb. This would really make sense only if one of the top pass-rush prospects, such as David Bailey, Rueben Bain Jr. or Arvell Reese, fall out of the top 10. That seems unlikely to me, but stranger things have happened, and the Bears would be well-positioned to pounce if that occurred. If Poles is leaning offense, this would also get the Bears in position for Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson at wide receiver.
By trading a 2027 second-round pick, the Bears would still hold on to the second-rounder they landed from the Bills, and that would allow them to address defensive back in Round 2. And the Dolphins might prefer a second-rounder next year for the reasons I've mentioned earlier."
Poles has not been afraid to make trades involving the draft, as he did to acquire DJ Moore and to use the Carolina Panthers trade picks to get Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the 2024 NFL Draft. If Poles see someone they like, they will make sure to get after them.
Chicago has missed out on some of the top edge rushers in the offseason to sign or trade, as now the Bears are faced with just $1 million in cap space. That leaves the draft as the only option to bring in talent, so why not offload some picks to move up and get a guy who can start on Day 1?
Read more: Bears might have a bigger problem with key position than fans initially thought
It'll be interesting if Poles really decides to be aggressive or let the draft come to him.