Bears NFL Draft Rumors: What’s Real, What’s Smoke, and What to Watch

With the 2026 NFL Draft finally almost upon us, we're taking a look at some of the hottest Chicago Bears rumors going into Round 1.

Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Keldric Faulk. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Barring a trade out of the first round, the Chicago Bears will finally be on the clock in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft when the three-day event begins on Thursday.

The Bears are sitting with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round, a spot they earned after a better-than-expected first campaign under head coach Ben Johnson that saw Chicago win the NFC North and a postseason game.

The Bears own a total of seven picks in the draft, including four over the first two days, with one in the first round, two in the second and one in the third.

Chicago sports a fourth-round pick, as well, but there's a wide gap between that selection and Chicago's final two, both of which come in the seventh round.

It has been a long pre-draft process, with rumors and speculation flying for months now. Thankfully, we'll finally have answers in the coming days. For now, let's see what some of the hottest rumors are pertaining to the Bears, and we'll weigh in on what we think is real, what's not, and what to watch for.

What's real: Bears targeting Keldric Faulk

Auburn Tigers defensive end Keldric Faulk. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer told Kap & J-Hood on ESPN 1000 that the belief in league circles is the Bears will target Auburn edge rusher Keldric Faulk with the No. 25 pick because he fits the mold of a Dennis Allen EDGE.

"One name that kind of keeps coming up is a fit for Dennis Allen: Keldric Faulk from Auburn," Breer said.

After posting just 35 sacks last season, and with the uncertainty surrounding Dayo Odeyingbo, the Bears need more help opposite Montez Sweat, so this pick would make sense.

Faulk fits the mold of the kind of edge rusher Allen likes. He's big and long (6-foot-5, 276 pounds, 34 3/8" arms) and is good at setting the edge in the run game (85.5 Pro Football Focus run defense grade in 2025, ranking 20th among edge rushers).

The concern with Faulk is that he didn't have much production during his college career. Faulk finished with seven sacks and 11 tackles for loss in 2024, but that showing was sandwiched in between campaigns with one sack and 3.5 tackles for loss in 2023, and two sacks and five tackles for loss in 2025.

That said, we know college production doesn't always dictate what a player will do in the pros. Furthermore, Faulk is a phenomenal run defender, which checks another box for a Chicago team that was ranked 27th against the run last season.

What's smoke: Bears targeting McNeil-Warren at 25

Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. | Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

We know the Bears need to address safety. Coby Bryant was a solid signing, but the team also lost Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.

In his first and only mock draft, Matt Lombardo of Between The Hashmarks picked Toldeo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren for Chicago at No. 25. His picks are based on what he's hearing around the NFL from agents and front office executives.

CBS Sports' Jonathan Jones also provided a mock draft based on what he's hearing and he had McNeil-Warren going to Chicago, as well.

While McNeil-Warren addresses the Bears' need at safety, we find it hard to believe he'll be the pick at No. 25, and for a few reasons.

For starters, Chicago has much bigger needs at edge rusher and interior defensive line, and we tend to believe Poles is going to lean heavily into adding at one of those spots. If he can't, we suspect a cornerback or trade back could be on the menu.

We also know there are plenty of good defensive backs available on Day 2, where the Bears have three picks. ESPN's Jordan Reid has a total of eight safeties with Day 2 grades, a list headlined by two of our favorites in this entire draft, Treydan Stukes and Kyle Louis, the latter of whom could play linebacker, also.

The Bears should go safety in this draft, but that pick should not come until the second or third round.

What to watch: Bears could go left tackle at 25

Chicago Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

It is widely believed that left tackle is a real possibility for the Bears at 25 given the injury to Ozzy Trapilo and the fact Chicago will have to rely on Braxton Jones, the likely starter who was benched last season, to fill the void.

However, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune doesn't think that will happen, barring general manager Ryan Poles having a high grade for a left tackle prospect that's still on the board in that spot.

"Unless an offensive tackle whom the Bears have a really high grade on somehow remains on the board, they need to add to their stable of quality defensive linemen, knowing a good safety should be available in later rounds," Biggs wrote.

We know Poles deploys a best player available strategy, so it's no doubt possible he takes a left tackle if one slides. But with the run on tackles expected to begin around pick No. 10, chances are a player with a high grade won't fall into Chicago's lap.