Bear Digest

Chicago Bears Find Answer to Pressing Need on Defense in Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft

The Chicago Bears might have no choice but to reach on this position in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft.
Bryan Perez|
Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

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One of the most pressing decisions facing Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles this offseason is at safety, where both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III are scheduled to become unrestricted free agents.

Byard, 2025 All-Pro, and Brisker, one of Poles' first draft picks, formed one of the better safety tandems in the NFL this season, but it's unlikely the Bears will be able to bring both back.

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Enter the 2026 NFL Draft. There's a chance the best player available at No. 25 overall will be a safety, as it was in the latest 2026 mock draft from A to Z Sports.

In this new mock draft, the Chicago Bears land Tulane's Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

"Some may think this is a bit early for Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, but I expect his stock to rise as the process continues," Destin Adams wrote. "He’s a do-it-all safety that could replace Jaquan Brisker in the case that Chicago lets him test free agency."

McNeil-Warren finished the 2025 season with 77 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries.

Simply put, the dude produced.

Scouting reports paint McNeil-Warren as a do-it-all safety who can roam the backend, come downhill in run support, and create turnovers. His length, physicality, and instincts will be coveted in war rooms and should have him placed among the top safety prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft.

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Still, there's a chance McNeil-Warren will end up a second-round pick come draft weekend. He needs to improve in coverage, but if he's targeted as a replacement for Brisker, he should fit nicely opposite Byard.

Mock drafts at this time of year are more about identifying the direction the Chicago Bears are likely to go in the first round, more so than targeting a specific player whom Poles is zeroing in on. So, while the odds that McNeil-Warren becomes a Bear are admittedly low, the possibility that Chicago lands a safety in the first round remains high.

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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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