Bears 7-round mock draft: Chicago picks Peter Woods, reinforces trenches
The Bears' DJ Moore trade landed them another top-100 pick. Here's how they could take advantage of their top-heavy load of draft picks.
The 2025 Chicago Bears nearly made it to the NFC championship game. How can they improve their roster in the 2026 NFL Draft to get over the hump? That's a question every Bears fan is trying to answer alongside Chicago's general manager, Ryan Poles; its head coach, Ben Johnson; and the team's scouts and other executives.
Earlier this offseason, Poles made a significant step to ready up for the draft by sending wide receiver DJ Moore and a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for a second-round pick. The upgraded draft capital provides Poles the opportunity to add a talented player to a position of need early in the draft. The Bears' biggest needs are on the defensive side of the ball.
While Chicago led the league in forced turnovers last season, the defense's performance outside of the takeaways left much to be desired. The unit ranked 21st in expected points added (EPA)/play allowed and 26th in success rate allowed in 2025. NFL NEWS, TAKES, FANTASY ADVICE: USA TODAY Sports has you covered with our NFL vodcast 2026 NFL DRAFT: Ranking the top 150 best players available USA TODAY Sports has compiled a seven-round mock draft to boost the 2026 Bears' roster.
Here's how Chicago might use its seven picks in the upcoming NFL draft: Chicago Bears mock draft Round 1, No. 25 overall: DT Peter Woods, Clemson Getting the Bears' defense right starts in the trenches. Chicago ranked 31st in the NFL in pass-rush win rate and 26th in the league in run-stop win rate in 2025, according to ESPN.
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