2026 NFL Draft 'Dream Scenario' Has Bears Making a Controversial Pick

The 2026 NFL draft is just over a week away, and rumors and predictions are running rampant, especially for the Chicago Bears. ESPN's Bill Barnwell has urged the Bears to trade up in the 2026 NFL draft, while the latest Dexter Lawrence trade rumors suggest that the Bears could soon be preparing a blockbuster deal. Everywhere you look, fans and analysts alike seem to believe that now is the time for the Bears to get aggressive in the draft, either by trading their first-round pick for a player or moving up in the first round.

That's exactly what the Bears do in the latest article from NFL beat reporter Gilberto Manzano. Writing for Sports Illustrated, Manzano listed the dream scenario for all 32 teams in the 2026 NFL draft, and for the Bears, that includes a massive trade-up in the first round. I don't disagree with this aggressive strategy, but the player he has the Bears selecting is a headscratcher: LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

"The Bears would fill one of their biggest needs if they can move up from No. 25 to grab the best coverage player in this draft," Manzano writes. "Currently, the Bears need a No. 2 cornerback on the opposite side of Jaylon Johnson. Delane has the upside to one day develop into a lockdown corner."

This dream scenario more closely resembles a nightmare for the Bears

If this is a 'dream scenario' for the Bears, it's not quite a nightmare, but it's close. Mansoor Delane is widely expected to be selected within the Top 10 of the draft. In fact, three separate mock drafts from respected NFL analysts, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. and Peter Schrager, and PFF's Bradley Locker, have Delane going at No. 10 to the Cincinnati Bengals.

That means the Bears would have to move up no fewer than 15 spots in the draft order to get Delane, and that would be expensive. According to the Drafttek NFL trade value chart, the Bears would likely have to send the Bengals their No. 25 pick along with both second-round picks to make this happen. That's a major investment, and sending away all of those picks for a position that's already in fairly good shape just doesn't make much sense. Not when you consider the Bears' other needs.

Manzano also includes the Bears taking a late-round swing on Wake Forest running back Demond Claiborne, but that also fails to live up to the expectations of a 'dream scenario'. He may develop into a good starter in the NFL, but it's hard to get excited about a Day 3 running back who likely wouldn't even see the field as a rookie.

The Bottom Line

Delane is a tantalizing prospect, make no mistake about that. But that's a lot of draft capital to secure a player who even Manzano admits would be Chicago's CB2 on the depth chart. If the Bears are to make an aggressive trade into the Top 10, I would hope it would be for a pass rusher such as Rueben Bain Jr. That's a scenario I proposed for the Bears when I mocked up four blockbuster trades the Bears must consider.

I won't outright say that this would be a bad pick for the Bears. General manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have both earned the benefit of the doubt after last year's draft masterclass. But I would prefer not to have to throw my hands up and mumble something about trusting Johnson to have a plan when the Bears make their pick next Thursday night.

Chicago Bears fan — Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google