Bear Digest

ESPN 2026 NFL Mock Draft sends Chicago Bears reinforcements on defense in first round

ESPN's Field Yates has the Chicago Bears turning their attention to defense in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears' offense is preparing for takeoff in 2025. Under the watchful eye of head coach Ben Johnson and through the development of second-year franchise quarterback Caleb Williams, there's no limit to how explosive this group can be.

Part of the Bears' expected offensive success is due to the investements general manager Ryan Poles has made in that side of the ball in the NFL Draft. His last four first-round picks have been offensive players: Darnell Wright (2023), Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze (2024), and Colston Loveland (2025).

When factoring the money Poles has spent on fixing the offensive line in free agency and trades, it makes sense to project that the 2026 NFL Draft will be all about the defense.

In ESPN NFL analyst Field Yate's first 2026 Mock Draft of the season, he has the Bears doing just that in the first round. Chicago holds the 17th overall pick in this mock, and Yates has them selecting Tennessee cornerback, Jermod McCoy.

"If not for an ACL tear suffered in January, McCoy would be much higher," Yates wrote. "He has returned to the practice field in some capacity, but it's unclear when he will be cleared to play in games. He is a terrific perimeter cover corner, though, with ideal speed, length and ball disruption skills for the NFL. McCoy had an incredible debut season at Tennessee in 2024 after spending one year at Oregon State, picking off four passes and breaking up eight more. The Bears need more perimeter corners opposite Jaylon Johnson, so this makes sense."

While most Chicago Bears fans would agree that edge rusher is a bigger need than cornerback at this stage of the defense's development, adding a player with McCoy's upside (assuming he regains his pre-injury form) could be too enticing to pass up. A defense that features Johnson and McCoy as big-bodied outside corners would be... something.

Yates' 2026 mock draft has two edge rushers selected in back-to-back picks by NFC North rivals immediately after the Bears' selection at No. 17.

The Minnesota Vikings select Northwestern's Anto Saka at No. 18, and the Packers land Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon) at No. 19.

Call it a hunch, but if the 2026 NFL Draft class features a first round that's clustered like this, the Chicago Bears are more likely to draft the mid-first-round edge rusher over the defensive back.

Indeed, it's eary in the process (very early). But early mock drafts help set the table for what fans can expect from the upcoming NFL Draft process. For the Bears, that means identifying which positions on defense need an upgrade. There's no doubt that's the side of the ball they'll target in Round 1 next April.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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