Four 2026 NFL Draft Prospects the Bears Must Avoid With the No. 25 Pick

The annual NFL draft is always something of a guessing game, but the Chicago Bears have been lucky enough (or bad enough) in recent years to remove a lot of that guessing. Earning the first-overall pick in 2023 gave them an easy trade piece, which they did in fact deal to the Carolina Panthers for a bundle of picks that included what became the first-overall pick in 2024. Caleb Williams was the consensus top prospect that year, and Williams' breakout season in 2025 proved the Bears were right in their selection.

However, the Bears now sit with the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL draft, and we're going to see just how good a talent evaluator general manager Ryan Poles is. I can think of a few different prospects he should strongly consider with this selection, as seen in my latest 7-round 2026 NFL mock draft, but some prospects are too risky.

The Bears are still in a position where they have to find immediate starters in the NFL draft, and the first round is the best place to do that. I believe they should target prospects that are considered 'safe'. Guys who may not have the highest ceiling, but are widely expected to live up to pre-draft hype. The following four prospects don't meet this criterion, and for that reason, I think the Bears should look elsewhere when they're on the clock.

1. Caleb Banks - Defensive Tackle, Florida

This has more to do with injury concerns than actual talent. Leading up to the Senior Bowl, I wrote that Caleb Banks would be a perfect fit for the Bears, but Banks reportedly broke his foot during a workout ahead of the NFL Combine earlier this month. It's been reported that he's expected to be ready to play football by June, but that injury marked Caleb Banks' third foot injury in 12 months.

As good as Banks' Combine performance was, and as dominant as he looked during his career with Florida, that many foot injuries for an explosive big man is a red flag that's too big to ignore. The last thing the Bears need is a first-round defensive tackle selection who can't stay healthy.

2. Jordyn Tyson - Wide Receiver, Arizona State

Like Banks, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson is a mind-blowing talent on the field. He can run any route, play in the slot or on the boundary, and is both a willing and able run blocker. The problem is that Tyson can't reliably stay on the field. First, it was a torn ACL, MCL, and PCL in 2022. Then he redshirted 2023 before breaking his collarbone in 2024. And in 2025, Tyson missed four games with four separate hamstring injuries.

Tyson also skipped NFL Combine workouts due to a lingering hamstring injury during the season. His talent is undeniable, and if he can stay healthy, he is going to become a major problem for NFL defenses. But the Bears should not be the ones to take that risk.

3. Akheem Mesidor - Defensive End, Miami (FL)

This is going to be a controversial pick as draft analysts widely acclaim Mesidor, and I'm not saying he's not a good prospect, but I don't think the Bears would be best suited by rolling the dice on Mesidor. He's a 25-year-old sixth-year senior who didn't truly breakout in college until he was several years older and a good deal stronger than much of his competition. His missed tackle rate is worrisome, reaching 21.6% in 2025.

He's also had surgeries on both feet, and while he was able to come back from both injuries without issue, those foot injuries can add up for explosive big men like Mesidor. And to top it all off, he's slightly undersized for an NFL defensive end.

Mesidor may not even be on the board at No. 25, and if he makes it that far, there will be several analysts and Bears fans screaming for Ryan Poles to sprint to the podium with Mesidor's name on his card. But I would advise Poles to instead pick up his phone and try to trade back. I'd rather have an extra pick or two and grab a safer defensive end in the second round.

4. Any offensive tackle

Chicago's offensive line situation is unstable, to put it kindly. They traded for center Garrett Bradbury to replace Drew Dalman, but that's a massive downgrade, and they will almost certainly spend a Day 2 pick on that position. As for left tackle, Ozzy Trapilo's ruptured patellar tendon will sideline him until deep into the 2026 season, which means we're going to see yet another training camp battle to find a starter.

However, I think the Bears did enough in free agency to assuage any fears of the left tackle position being a turnstile. Re-signing Braxton Jones to a one-year contract was a prudent move, as Jones is already familiar with the offense and has a proven track record of being a respectable starter. They also signed former first-round pick Jedrick Wills to a one-year deal, and he could very well see a career resurgence playing next to reigning NFL Protector of the Year Joe Thuney.

At the end of the day, I trust that either Jones or Wills can hold down the fort until Trapilo returns. The Bears, therefore, don't need to worry about adding a top-tier left tackle in the draft, and that's good because this year's class is frankly pretty weak for offensive tackles, especially at the back of the first round.

1. Caleb Banks - Defensive Tackle, Florida

2. Jordyn Tyson - Wide Receiver, Arizona State

3. Akheem Mesidor - Defensive End, Miami (FL)

4. Any offensive tackle

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