The days keep churning along and somehow we are now just a week away from the start of the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. It feels like just last week 300+ players showed up in Indianapolis for the NFL Scouting Combine, and now it’s already time for me to rewatch Draft Day for the 10th time.

As we countdown the days, we at EssentiallySports have been creating one mock draft a day until we cover all 32 NFL teams. Yesterday, my colleague Daniel Rios hit on the Philadelphia Eagles, so now it’s my turn to do one for the Chicago Bears, who hold four top-100 picks in this draft.

Round 1, Pick 25: S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren

The Bears have bigger needs on defense than safety, namely defensive end and defensive tackle, but I just didn’t like any of the edge rushers available, and I’m not high on this defensive tackle class as a whole, so both felt like reaches here. I know they just brought in Coby Bryant, which is a signing I really liked, but they need someone to pair with him, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could be that guy.

If Caleb Downs wasn’t in this draft class, McNeil-Warren would be in consideration for being the best safety in this class. I still have Dillon Thieneman ahead of him, but you could make the case for him being better than Thieneman. The only bad thing you can say about him is that he played at Toledo, so he didn’t play against the best talent. However, Toldeo has been pumping out defensive backs over the past five years, so I’m not too concerned about that.

McNeil-Warren would be the last missing piece to this secondary. I like Chicago’s cornerback room, and if they add someone like McNeil-Warren, their safety room will be one of the best in the NFC. All they’d need to do is get some pass rush help…

Round 2, Pick 57: DE R Mason Thomas

Which is why in round two, I went out and picked up R Mason Thomas out of Oklahoma. There are a lot of talented edge rushers to be found in round two with guys like Thomas, Gabe Jacas, Malachi Lawrence and Zion Young, but Thomas might have the most upside of them all.

Over the past two seasons, Thomas has 15.5 sacks and he ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash with a 34-inch vertical. He’s a great athlete for a pass rusher, but he is a bit undersized at 6-foot-2, 241 pounds. His small frame could hurt him in the NFL, but it could also work to his advantage, given he should be much quicker than any offensive lineman he faces.

The Bears already have Montez Sweat, who is 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, coming off one edge, so having someone like Thomas who is the complete opposite of him could work in their favor.

Round 2, Pick 60: C Connor Lew

With Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement earlier this offseason, the Bears need to find a young center in this draft class. Luckily for them, they have two second round picks, so they should be able to land one of the top centers in this class. It could be Connor Lew or Sam Hecht here, it all comes down to preference, but I prefer Lew.

Lew suffered a torn ACL in October, but is still widely considered one of the top-two centers in the draft. Over his three year career, Lew allowed just three sacks and 16 pressures in 867 pass blocking snaps. On top of that, he’s a really good run blocker and is a great athlete and a great communicator, which is very important for a center in the NFL.

Grabbing Lew at No. 60 would solve the Bears’ center problems. ACLs are healing faster than ever nowadays, so there shouldn’t be much risk of him missing the start of the season, so if I’m Chicago, I’m betting on his upside in the second round.

Round 3, Pick 89: DT Gracen Halton

Over the past two seasons, Gracen Halton has been one of the focal points of Oklahoma’s defense. He’s played 483 pass rushing snaps during the span and has racked up 58 pressures and 8.5 sacks, which is incredible production from a defensive tackle. On top of that, Halton just set a career-high with an 86.9 run defense grade and 19 run stops in 2025.

Halton’s also a terrific athlete, running a 4.82-second 40-yard dash with a 36.5-inch vertical while weighing in at 293 pounds. I know a lot of fans want to see Chicago take a defensive tackle earlier than round three, but when you can get a player of Halton’s caliber 50+ picks later, why wouldn’t you wait?

Round 4, Pick 129: WR Jeff Caldwell

With D.J. Moore heading to Buffalo, the Bears would be wise to add another receiver in this draft. I really like Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, so it shouldn’t be too high on their list, but there are some really good wideouts they could find in round four. One of which is Jeff Caldwell.

Caldwell isn’t the most polished receiver. He needs to become a better route runner and isn’t a great contested catch threat despite being 6-foot-5, but his athletic traits are off the charts. At the NFL Combine, he ran a 4.31-second 40-yard dash with a 42-inch vertical and an 11-foot, 2-inch broad jump while weighing in at 216 pounds. That’s special stuff.

The Bears have two receivers and a really good tight end they can rely on to carry the load, so adding a project add receiver isn’t a huge deal. They can afford to wait a year or two and polish him up, because if he reaches his full potential, Chicago’s offense would be unstoppable.

Round 7, Pick 239: DT Bryson Eason

Gracen Halton is a potential starter at defensive tackle, but Chicago still needs to add some depth to the interior of their defensive line, which is why I’m picking Bryson Eason in round seven. He’s not exceptionally great at anything, but he’s a solid run defender and a decent pass rusher. At this point in the draft, you’re just hoping to find someone who can play in rotation, and Eason can do that.

Round 7, Pick 241: CB Domani Jackson

Domani Jackson never really lived up to the hype at USC and Alabama, but he was a five-star for a reason. He has talent, and is coming off a year where he allowed just 137 yards and one touchdown. I don’t foresee him becoming a full-time starter in the league, but Chicago just need some cornerback depth, and he could be a high-upside backup for the Bears.