Bear Digest

2026 NFL Mock Draft: Bears land final piece to unlock Ben Johnson's offense

The Chicago Bears' offense could be truly unstoppable if this 2026 NFL Mock Draft comes to fruition.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears showed a glimpse of what the offense could become under Ben Johnson's watch during their dismantling of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3.

Caleb Williams threw for nearly 300 yards and four touchdowns. More importantly, he produced at a high level while showing obvious signs of development under Johnson and the Bears' revamped offensive line.

But if there was one area of the offense that continues to lag behind, it's the running game. Veteran starter D'Andre Swift ran for just 33 yards on 13 carries and is averaging only 3.5 yards per carry on the season.

Swift struggled with efficiency in 2024, his first season with the Bears, as well, which has led to Chicago's early 2026 NFL Draft narrative focusing on running back.

The latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft from Pro Football Sports Network advanced their theme with the Chicago Bears' selection at No. 11 overall, where GM Ryan Poles pulls the trigger on Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, the clear-cut, no-brainer top running back in this year's draft class.

"The Bears, for the most part, have the offensive line to raise their run game’s floor," PFSN's Ian Cummings wrote. "Now it’s time to find the RB who lifts the ceiling, like Jahmyr Gibbs did for Ben Johnson in Detroit. Jeremiyah Love is back in the 2026 class. Giving echoes of former Packers star and Bears rival Ahman Green, Love has the dynamic vertical speed, cutting flexibility, creative IQ, and competitive toughness to take Chicago’s ground game to the next level."

I'm not buying the Ahman Green comp, and instead get vibes of Adiran Peterson -- yes, that Adrian Peterson -- when I watch Love. He runs with a rare blend of juice, twitch, and contact balance that suggests he'll be a big play waiting to happen in the NFL.

The only way the Bears will land Love in the 2026 NFL Draft is if they end the season with a top-10 pick again. While Love would make a fantastic consolation prize for yet another frustrating regular season, there's no doubt Bears Nation would be happy to sacrifice an elite running back prospect for some meaningful December football.

The Chicago Bears will have plenty of second-round running backs to choose from to upgrade their running back room, should Poles decide to go that route. Prospects like Penn State's Nicholas Singleton and Washington's Jonah Coleman would be plug-and-play starters for the Bears as Round 2 options.

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Bryan Perez
BRYAN PEREZ

Bryan Perez founded and operated Bears Talk, a Chicago sports blog. Prior to that, he covered the Bears for USA Today’s Bears Wire and NBC Sports Chicago. In addition to his Chicago Bears coverage, Perez is a respected member of NFL Draft media and was a past winner of The Huddle's Mock Draft competition. Bryan's past life includes time as a Northeast scout for the CFL's Ottawa Redblacks.

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