Bears 7-round mock draft: Addressing Chicago's biggest needs

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2026 NFL Draft, where there are no shortage of needs for them to address with their seven selections. They do have four picks in the top 89 selections, after trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, which gives them premium capital to help bolster the roster. General manager Ryan Poles had his best draft class last year, in head coach Ben Johnson's first season, landing future stars in tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III and solid contributors in running back Kyle Monangai and left tackle Ozzy Trapilo.

Now, the hope is Poles can replicate that success with this 2026 draft class. It might be more difficult considering the array of position needs, which could impact Poles' best-available approach and make it more important to draft by need. But, in my latest seven-round mock draft, the Bears navigate that scenario by addressing needs and landing potential impact players to shore up the defense, find their center of the future and add some potential steals in the seventh round.

Round 1, Pick 25: Peter Woods, DT, Clemson The Bears didn't address defensive tackle in a meaningful way in free agency rather adding depth pieces including Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch. They need to find another impact player along the interior to pair with Gervon Dexter and Andrew Billings. This isn't a particularly deep defensive tackle class, so it feels like Chicago's best bet would be to address it with the 25th overall pick if someone like Peter Woods is still on the board.

Woods was a projected top-10 pick before last season, but his stock has fallen after an underwhelming 2025 season. That could wind up playing right into Chicago's favor as they land a powerful and explosive athlete to develop in the trenches. Round 2, Pick 57: A.