Chicago Bears Urged to Trade Up in 2026 NFL Draft, and Ryan Poles Should Listen

The 2026 NFL draft is less than 10 days away, and the Chicago Bears likely have their draft strategy solidified by now. General manager Ryan Poles will have his big board assembled and probably has a pretty good idea of whether the players he likes the most will be available when he's on the clock next week with the No. 25 selection.

However, he doesn't have to wait that long to make his pick if he doesn't want to, and he probably shouldn't. Caleb Williams' breakout season in 2025 guided the Bears back to their first division title since 2018, and the time is right for them to start making the kinds of moves that Super Bowl contenders make. That means trading up in the NFL draft to land a better prospect, and one NFL analyst agrees.

In his latest article evaluating which teams should make trades in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft, ESPN's Bill Barnwell urges the Bears to move up to the No. 16 pick, sending the New York Jets their No. 25 pick plus the No. 60 pick they received by trading receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.

"[The Bears] would also jump the Lions in the process, a division rival that should be looking at edge rushers with their first selection," Barnwell writes about the Bears leaping up to No. 16. "There's nothing wrong with staying put and holding on to both second-rounders, of course, but this could be an opportunity for Poles to both hit his biggest position of need and steal an opportunity away from a divisional foe in the process."

The Bears could target either one of two major positions of need with a trade up

This is exactly the scenario I proposed when I proposed four blockbuster trades that the Bears must consider on draft day. In my scenario, this trade-up would be to grab Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman ahead of the Minnesota Vikings, who pick at No. 18, or the Detroit Lions, who pick at No. 17. Both teams could use a ball-hawking safety of Thieneman's caliber, and leapfrogging ahead of them to steal Thieneman would be an elite move from Ryan Poles.

Barnwell, however, appears to be focused on edge rushers. At No. 16, I could see the Bears selecting Auburn's Keldric Faulk. His physical profile (Faulk checks in at six-foot-six and 276 pounds and boasts nearly 35" arms) matches what Dennis Allen prefers in his defensive ends, and he's young enough to comfortably project a good deal of development in his pass rush arsenal. He may not be a Day 1 starter for Chicago, but I could see him supplanting Austin Booker's spot on the depth chart by December.

The Bottom Line

Are the Bears likely to trade up in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft? No. General manager Ryan Poles has traded up in the draft just once over the last four years, and that was in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL draft. A first-round trade-up would be far outside of Poles' M.O., especially since he recently doubled down on his draft strategy of holding in place and taking the best available player.

However, April is informally known as 'lying season' in the NFL. General managers across the league are holding their cards close to the vest, and Poles' comments could have been a smoke screen. He's never traded up in the first round before, but he's also never entered the NFL draft as the reigning NFC North champion before either.

Expectations are elevated after his first winning season as general manager of the Chicago Bears, and that should force a reevaluation of his draft strategy. Sticking-and-picking may have worked in previous years, but Poles would do well to remain flexible and consider other strategies now that the Bears' situation has changed.

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

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