Last-Minute Bears NFL Mock Draft With Trade to Fend Off Competitor for Round 1 Target

One final mock draft for the Chicago Bears that features a trade up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

The 2026 NFL Draft theater stage. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

We are just hours away from the 2026 NFL Draft as of this writing, and in anticipation of the event Chicago Bears fans have been patiently waiting for, we're throwing up one last mock draft.

This mock will only feature one pick, but the exciting part is it involves a trade up.

And we didn't just pull this trade up out of thin air, either, as it is birthed from some NFL Draft intel we've picked up from others during the pre-draft process, including some intel that came through via an NFL Draft analyst on Wednesday.

This mock features the Bears moving up one spot to grab an edge rusher who could fall through their fingers if the latest buzz turns out to be true and Chicago stands pat.

Round 1, Pick 24 (via CLE): EDGE Keldric Faulk, Auburn

Auburn defensive lineman Keldric Faulk. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Bears only move up one spot to grab Keldric Faulk out of Auburn, but for good reason.

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer has previously reported he hears Faulk might be a target of the Bears. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com is hearing that the Houston Texans are looking to trade up and he thinks Faulk could be the target.

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

"Hearing rumblings of the Texans looking to trade up and a target who comes to mind is Keldrick Faulk," Zierlein said.

Chicago doesn't let that happen and instead moves up one pick to snag Faulk from the grasp of the Texans. All the Bears have to do to get it done is move back 17 spots from their fourth-round pick into the Cleveland Browns' fifth-rounder, and Chicago throws in a seventh-round pick to put it over the top.

For that price, the Bears add more help at the edge rusher spot opposite Montez Sweat that has a major question mark after a season that saw Chicago finish tied for the seventh-fewest sacks and the second-worst pass-rush win rate.

That question mark comes in the form of Dayo Odeyingbo, who suffered a torn Achilles after posting one sack in eight games.

Then, there's the run defense, where the Bears had the sixth-worst unit in the NFL. Faulk can help in that area, also, after he posted the 20th-ranked run defense grade among edge rushers in the country last season.

Another thing we like about Faulk is his ability to slide inside and offer some extra pass-rush juice and run-defense prowess alongside Gervon Dexter.