Bear Digest

NFL.com Three-Round 2026 Mock Draft Sends Chicago Bears Defensive Reinforcements

NFL.com’s latest three-round 2026 mock draft projects the Bears addressing three major defensive needs with disciplined, high-upside selections.
Bryan Perez|
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The Chicago Bears' 2026 offseason won't be the kind of teardown fans have become used to. Instead, it'll be more about filling the gaps between winning a playoff game and competing for a Super Bowl.

In the latest three-round 2026 mock draft from NFL.com, the Bears fill some of their biggest needs on defense with all three picks.

At No. 25 overall, the Bears land Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald, a defensive tackle who's tailor-made to do one thing that Chicago failed to do consistently last season: control the line of scrimmage.

MORE: Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft Connects Bears to a Fix at One of Their Thinnest Positions

NFL.com's Chad Reuter framed the pick perfectly. The Bears want an anchor in the middle of their D-line, and the Ohio State star fits that vision. Dennis Allen's defense struggled to hold up against physical rushing attacks in 2025, and adding a powerful presence inside would keep second-level defenders clean.

Sure, McDonald isn't a flashy pick. But he has the kind of upside to become a foundational building block on defense.

In Round 2 (No. 57 overall), Reuter has the Bears attacking safety and selecting South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore. It's a decision that aligns with the uncertainty Chicago is facing at the position in free agency. Both Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III are set to become unrestricted free agents, and the expectation is that Chicago will lose at least one of them. As a result, a replacement must be found in the early rounds of the 2026 draft.

MORE: PFF Post-Super Bowl Mock Draft Sends Chicago Bears a Defensive Fix They Can't Ignore

Kilgore brings range and physicality, traits that seem more likely to replace Brisker than Byard. And if Poles' end-of-year comments suggesting he'd like to re-sign Byard ring true, then a replacement for Brisker is a good direction for mock drafters to go.

Finally, in Round 3 (No. 89 overall), Reuter has Chicago upgrading at edge rusher with Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton. He has the kind of athletic upside teams like betting on in this round. I'd imagine Poles will be very aggressive in the edge rusher market, whether it be via trade or free agency, which would make the third-round range a sweet spot for the Bears to level up the depth behind Montez Sweat and whoever is added in the veteran spending spree.

Most insiders expect the Chicago Bears' offseason to be defined by upgrades on defense. If that projection holds true, the theme of this 2026 mock draft has a chance to be spot on.

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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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