The NFL combine is suddenly way back in the rearview mirror. Free agency is fast approaching. And, if you hadn’t heard, the NFL trade market has been heating up.
The Chicago Bears still have plenty of heavy lifting ahead before draft weekend arrives in late April and have been scurrying this week through a busy stretch that included the trade of receiver DJ Moore to Buffalo, the release of linebacker Tremaine Edmunds and news that center Drew Dalman is retiring. As another busy offseason accelerates, general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson must work together to stabilize their roster, filling holes and creating flexibility for the draft.
Then the two will assemble a 2026 draft class they hope can propel the team forward as the Bears look to build on their promising 2025 season. With all that in mind, we’re loading up our second Bears mock draft of the offseason, exploring a deep menu of prospects and looking for matches on both sides of the ball. We do so this time with a new pick in the wallet — No. 60, the second-round selection that will arrive at Halas Hall in an express parcel from Buffalo as part of the Moore deal.
(Note: Until the compensatory picks are announced, the selection numbers for Rounds 4-7 are TBD.)
Round 1, No. 25: Zion Young, Edge, Missouri
This is Dennis Allen’s kind of player. Big, long, strong. And full of energy.
Sure, Young will need to diversify his pass-rush repertoire and sharpen his instincts. But there’s a lot to work with here. At 6-foot-6 and 262 pounds, Young has imposing size and has shown the ability to be productive as a rusher and as a run stopper. He had nine sacks in his final season at Missouri and showed promise in his previous stop at Michigan State (2022-23).
At the combine, Poles listed a handful of traits he prioritizes in defensive linemen — high motor, relentlessness, violent, explosive. Young fits. The Bears will, at once, be showing a vote of confidence in his potential and this coaching staff’s ability to bring the best out of him.
Round 2, No. 57: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
With Edmunds’ release, linebacker becomes a priority this offseason. To best fill the weakside spot next to T.J. Edwards, the Bears should look for speed. Enter Hill, who had the third-fastest 40-yard dash time at the combine among linebackers.
That’s not his only trait, either. Dane Brugler’s 56th-ranked prospect is “an impressive size-speed prospect.”
“Hill,” Brugler adds, “brings athletic versatility to the field with his range versus the run, speed as a blitzer and change of direction in coverage.” Hill is only 21. His height and weight are very similar to Demario Davis, who starred in Allen’s defense in New Orleans. Hill was also a decorated college player as a two-time All-American who had 31.5 tackles for loss in three seasons in Austin.
Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard could make sense for the Bears after they traded DJ Moore to the Bills. (Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
Round 2, No. 60 (from Bills): Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama
Luxury pick? At this point in the draft? Maybe. Still, with Moore’s departure, Johnson isn’t likely to turn his nose up at a playmaker with this kind of versatility. Bernard led the Crimson Tide last season with 64 catches, 862 yards and seven touchdowns. He turned 18 rushing attempts into 101 yards and two more scores. Heck, he even threw a couple of passes — and completed both.
Bernard was a teammate of Rome Odunze’s at Washington in 2023. So there’s that. More importantly, he has good size (6-1, 206 pounds) and decent speed (4.48 seconds in the 40-yard dash). He can line up outside, in the slot or in the backfield. Talent evaluators see a player with a strong feel for route running and an ability to be effective with the whole route tree. He is also well-regarded for his competitiveness and willingness to block, two traits Johnson should love.
Round 3, No. 89: A.J. Haulcy, S, LSU
Even if the Bears retain Kevin Byard for another season or two, the needs on the back end of the secondary are pronounced. Haulcy, who bounced from New Mexico to Houston to LSU during college, is described as an instinctive, physical player. He may be more productive in a zone-heavy scheme. But his versatility would allow Allen to become creative.
Haulcy can hit and would leave an impression with his strength and physicality. His 10 interceptions in college are evidence of his ball skills.
Round 4 (from Rams): Trey Zuhn III, C, Texas A&M
With the sudden news of Dalman’s retirement, the Bears have a need at center. Luke Newman, a sixth-rounder last year, will be the first in-house option, and they could look to bring in a veteran or re-sign Ryan Bates, who knows the system and Williams. The way our draft went, this pick could be center or left tackle, but with Dalman’s decision fresh on our minds, we go center.
Zuhn is 96th in Brugler’s top 100, so based on that, the Bears would need him to slide to the end of Round 4. But according to Brugler’s scouting report, Zuhn has strong intangibles and positional versatility, which would play well for the Bears.
Round 7: Wesley Williams, Edge, Duke
Consider this a Day 3 dice roll on developmental potential. Williams is an effort player who will have to polish his technique and learn how to survive against longer-levered offensive linemen in the pros. But his intangibles may be worth gambling on.
He was a team captain, an academic all-conference pick and a consistently disruptive force last season for a Duke team that won the program’s first ACC title in more than 60 years. His second-effort motor is commendable. He had 29 career tackles for loss in college. And his power shows up on tape.
Round 7 (from Eagles via Browns): Joe Fagnano, QB, Connecticut
The dedicated mock draft fan club knows we can be big proponents of drafting quarterbacks. With Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent, that strategy has changed. But in Round 7, anything goes. And if Bagent is on the trade block, why not bring in another young QB to develop? Fagnano put up impressive numbers for UConn last season (28 touchdowns, one interception, and a completion percentage of 69.0). Did he start playing college football in 2019? Sure. So what? Quarterbacks can play forever and Johnson might like a QB with Fagnano’s size and accuracy as someone to have on the practice squad.