CHICAGO — The 2026 NFL draft (8 p.m. ET on ESPN, ABC, ESPN App) will start on April 23 in Pittsburgh. TheChicago Bearsare scheduled to make seven of the draft’s 257 picks, beginning with the No. 25 overall selection in the first roundThursday night.
During the three-day event (Rounds 2-3 on April 24 and Rounds 4-7 on April 25), we will update this page with analysis on every pick.
A full list of Bears’ selections are below, in addition to positional needs.
NFL draft coverage:
Kiper’s Big Board | Team needs
Round 1:No. 25
Round 2: No. 57
Round 2: No. 60
Round 3:No. 89
Round 4:No. 129
Round 7: No. 239
Round 7: No. 241
Top three needs:Edge, safety, center.
The Bears didn’t use free agency to sign a star defensive end, so all signs point toward using an early draft pick on a player to start opposite Montez Sweat. Chicago hasn’t used a first-round pick on an edge rusher since drafting Leonard Floyd at No. 9 in 2016, but given the depth of the position in this draft class, the Bears are in good position to address a major need early.
With the departures of Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker, safety is another position that needs to be addressed, as is finding a center the Bears can develop over time given Garrett Bradbury has only one year left on his contract.
The Bears haven’t used a first-round pick on defense since 2018. Is this the year they look that way?
It’s been even longer since Chicago drafted a pass rusher in Round 1 (Leonard Floyd, 2016) or a pure defensive end (Shea McClellin, 2012). Both are major needs for Dennis Allen’s defense after the Bears focused on defensive tackle during free agency. Depending on how many edge rushers are off the board by the time Chicago picks at No. 25, selecting a D-end is logical, but don’t rule out an offensive lineman in the first round. Ben Johnson spoke candidly about the “uncertainty” at left tackle amidOzzy Trapilo‘s ruptured patellar tendon, and the Bears were recently at Alabama’s pro day getting an up-close look atKadyn Proctor, one of the top offensive tackles in the draft.
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