The 2025 NFL regular season hasn’t kicked off yet, but it’s never too early to start preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft.

In the down period of the NFL offseason, I’ve spent time building out my big board for next year’s class. Early scouting provides additional context on how players have developed from year to year, and it helps me grow my board to be as big as it possibly can. I’m nearing 180 graded prospects as of this writing and hope to be at 200 before the season starts.

Of course, we don’t even know how the Bears’ own draft picks from 2025 will fare in the NFL yet. However, there are a couple of positions that stand out as needs on their roster going into the season.

Using some of the key positions of need on the Bears’ roster, I’ve singled out a few prospects who could generate first-round buzz for the 2026 NFL Draft. Please note that evaluations at this stage are incredibly fluid, but here’s what I’m going off of right now.

Edge rushers

TJ Parker, Clemson
Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
Keldric Faulk, Auburn
Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
Anto Saka, Northwestern
Cashius Howell, Texas A&M

Tyreak Sapp, Florida

I’m pretty impressed with the edge rusher value in the 2026 draft, as I have three edge defenders in my top 12 currently. There’s a drop off from there, but I like a handful of Day 2 guys who could rise up boards with a strong season.

TJ Parker is my top edge rusher currently. I think he’s the perfect blend of size (6’3” and 265 pounds), quickness, power and pass-rushing intelligence. If he works on his center of gravity a little bit more, he could become a Pro Bowl talent. He’s an extremely well-rounded EDGE who rushes with a high motor on a down-by-down basis.

Rueben Bain Jr. isn’t too far behind him. While I think Parker is the better athlete, Bain is more powerful and offers more inside-outside versatility. He’s a sturdy, lengthy run defender who can set the edge well, he has polished hands, and he also packs a nice punch at the point of attack. His short-area quickness is very good, even if his long speed is average.

My final true first-round grade in the EDGE group belongs to Keldric Faulk. He’s a monster of a man at 6’6” and 288 pounds, and that power helps him convert speed to power and hold up blocks in run support. He has good spatial awareness on stunts and is a better athlete than most his size. Though he lacks ideal bend, he could be a stellar 4-3 strong-side end.

The remaining guys are fringe first-rounders for me. Matayo Uiagalelei is a high-floor prospect with heavy hands and a high pass-rushing IQ. Anto Saka and Cashius Howell are two breakout candidates who haven’t been full-time starters but have impressive athletic skill sets. Finally, I like Tyreak Sapp as a stout EDGE with a quick first step and good length.

Running backs

Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame

Makhi Hughes, Oregon
Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

At this juncture, Jeremiyah Love is the only running back I have a first-round grade on. Things can obviously change; I had an early second-round grade on Ashton Jeanty going into 2024, and we all know how he ended up rising from there.

Love is the total package from a physical perspective as an NFL running back prospect. He’s an explosive back with impressive breakaway speed, and his low center of gravity helps give him both above-average contact balance and agility. His flashes of downhill vision are encouraging, and he’s a three-down back who can catch passes out of the backfield well.

Makhi Hughes and Nicholas Singleton are two potential risers into Round 1 that I like. Hughes dominated at Tulane with his patience and physicality, and he could help his draft stock with a great year at Oregon. Singleton is a bigger back who’s a tantalizing combination of size and speed, which should make him endearing to NFL teams.

Safeties

There are a couple other safeties I really like in the Round 2 range. Jalon Kilgore from South Carolina, Keon Sabb from Alabama and Amare Ferrell from Indiana are a couple guys I really like. That said, these are the two safeties I think have the best chance of going Round 1 if the 2026 NFL Draft gets held today.

Caleb Downs is my top prospect in the 2026 class currently. He’s a well-built safety with the versatility to play deep coverage, in the slot and in the box. He has great instincts in coverage, impressive ball skills and very good range moving around in space. His precision as a tackler is really nice, too. As far as safety prospects go, he’s about as good as they get.

His 2024 at Purdue was good, but Dillon Thieneman was elite in 2023, when he got to roam as a deep safety more often. He’s an intelligent processor who times his jumps on routes well. His agility in coverage is great, and he brings the effort and physicality in pursuit you want in a safety in run support. I have Downs a bit higher due to superior athletic upside.

Linebackers

CJ Allen, Georgia
Anthony Hill Jr., Texas

The Bears may be in need of another linebacker in the 2026 offseason, since they would save $15 million by releasing Tremaine Edmunds. If they do that, they could look at drafting his replacement early next year.

CJ Allen reminds me of early career Roquan Smith. He’s a dense, fast linebacker who can move sideline to sideline thanks to his tremendous burst and motor. A capable blitzer, Allen takes blocks head-on with proper physicality. His instincts in run support are tremendous. If he can become more comfortable in zone coverage, he could be a top-ten pick.

I’d argue Anthony Hill Jr. has more physical upside than Allen. He’s 6’3” and 235 pounds with long arms and a muscular frame. His athleticism shooting downhill is really good, and he works off blocks soundly in run support. The issue is he’s more reactive than instinctive, meaning he’s raw as a processor. His upside, though, is off the charts.

Offensive tackles

Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Spencer Fano, Utah
Caleb Lomu, Utah
Austin Barber, Florida
Isaiah World, Oregon

I doubt the Bears will heavily pursue an offensive tackle early in the 2026 NFL Draft. Between Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo and Kiran Amegadjie, I feel confident one of them can secure the starting job in the long run. I’ll touch briefly on some tackle prospects in case that doesn’t end up happening.

Kadyn Proctor is a giant at 6’7” and 360 pounds. He’s obviously a powerful people mover but also has refined strike placement and good size-adjusted quickness. Francis Mauigoa is a little bit safer, showing off a sturdy anchor and great agility demonstrated in pass protection. I have Mauigoa slightly higher, but it’s not a huge gap.

Both of Utah’s offensive tackles have tremendous NFL potential. Spencer Fano might fit better at guard, but he’s a fantastic athlete with tremendous technique, spatial awareness and body control. Caleb Lomu isn’t too far behind, as he’s a tad less explosive but every bit as solid of a technician, and he’s a little bit more nasty on tape.

Austin Barber and Isaiah World are developmental prospects who could rise into Round 1 with a strong 2025. Barber has the size, length, power and quickness you want — he just needs to improve his pad level and processing speed. World dominated at Nevada with a 6’8” frame, long arms and agility. If he continues to develop at Oregon, his ceiling is high.