NFL Draft Rumors Show Bears Could Trade Back and Still Land One of Two Top Targets

Two 2026 NFL Draft prospects heavily linked to the Chicago Bears in the first round might be available later than the 25th pick.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Throughout the pre-draft process, the Chicago Bears have often been linked to defensive linemen Peter Woods and Kayden McDonald.

The connections make sense because the Bears need help along the interior of their defensive line, especially when it comes to stopping the run, which the Bears were awful at in 2025, with Chicago ranking bottom-six in that category.

The overwhelming belief has been that the Bears can land either one of those players with their No. 25 overall pick, but a few recent nuggets from an NFL Draft analyst suggests they might be able to trade back and still land one of those two players.

Second-round grades on Woods, McDonald?

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

According to ESPN's Jordan Reid, he's hearing skepticism about the idea Woods and/or McDonald are first-round picks. Instead, they could have a second-round grade on them.

"The inconsistencies of Peter Woods (Clemson) throughout the season and during the predraft process have caused most teams I have spoken with to put an early-to-mid second-round mark on him," Reid reported. "Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) has mixed reviews because of his lack of pass-rushing ability; many teams wouldn't use a first-round pick on a two-down interior defender."

This means that there's a scenario where the Bears could opt to trade back, whether that be later into the first or early into the second, acquire another pick and still get one of them.

Talk about a win-win scenario for Chicago.

Bears shouldn't draft Peter Woods

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods. | Ken Ruinard / USA Today Network South Carolina / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Woods has had a disastrous pre-draft process that saw him not take part in the NFL Scouting Combine and do very little at the Clemson Pro Day because of a hamstring injury. All of this comes after the lineman had a down year in his final collegiate season.

"Advertised as a big, athletic tackle, Woods performed poorly last season and has not distinguished himself during the predraft process," Essentially Sports' Tony Pauline, who has dropped Woods from No. 18 to No. 30 on his draft board, wrote.

"After not working out at the combine, where he measured 6-foot-2.5 and 298 pounds, Woods ran two 10-yard splits during pro day (timing a best of 1.67 seconds) and never completed the 40 due to an alleged left hamstring strain. He also touched 29 inches in the vertical jump, a number that certainly does not put him in the category of 'big and athletic."

Woods has shown promise as an interior pass-rusher, and his versatility is intriguing, but he isn't someone who figures to be a one-man wrecking ball by any stretch and he lacks dominance in the run game, which is not a good fit for what Chicago needs.

There are just too many red flags here to be comfortable with Chicago taking Woods at any spot.

Bears should draft Kayden McDonald

Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Kayden McDonald. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

McDonald has more game-wrecking potential up the middle than Woods does.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Ohio State product's 92.0 run defense grade last season was tops in the nation, so he has clear potential to be an elite run-stuffer at the next level.

He only posted three sacks during his collegiate career, all of which came in 2025, and that's definitely not a strong suit to McDonald's game. But the Bears can take the trade-off if McDonald can be an impact player against the run.

Take this for what it's worth, but McDonald believes the Bears have shown enough interest to think he's their "No. 1 guy" late in the first round and we have no reason not to believe him.

“They’ve talked to me a lot,” McDonald said. “I’m their No. 1 guy. That’s what I feel like. They seem very excited to get me up there. They say they like how I play and they like my motor. I play all four quarters, and I’m relentless.”

Obviously, the most ideal scenario is the Bears trading back and getting McDonald with a later pick, but that would be a risky bet with the Buffalo Bills sitting at No. 26 and in need of a run-stuffer like the Bears are. We'd be more than comfortable getting McDonald at No. 25 overall.