Where are the Bears picking in the 2026 NFL Draft (and who should they select)?

The Bears' season ended with a heartbreaking 20-17 loss in the Divisional Round matchup against the Rams. They will join 28 other teams across the league that already have their sights set on the offseason.

On the bright side (if you could call it that), the Bears had the worst record (11-6) of the four teams that were eliminated from the playoffs this week, as the Bills, Texans, and 49ers all had 12 wins. That means they'll be picking 25th in the draft.

The Bears have seven picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. They own each of their original selections through the first three rounds and acquired a fourth-round selection from the Rams (they're going to get their lick back with that fourth-round selection.. it's going to be a surefire Hall of Famer) during last year's draft.

They also have their pick in the fifth-round and two selections in the seventh after trading their sixth-round pick to the Browns for Joe Tryon-Shroyinka ahead of the trade deadline. They could also add another third-round selection if assistant general manager Ian Cunningham gets hired to another team's GM job.

Now that I've laid out the selections that the Bears have at their disposal.. Where should they focus their attention in the draft?

That's an easy one. Defense, defense, and more defense.

I know Chicago's defense did more than enough to come out on top tonight, but that doesn't change the fact that they've been a liability all season. They desperately need to improve their pass-rush and will also need to prioritize the linebacker position (due to TJ Edwards' injury and the fact that D'Marco Jackson is a pending free agent) and the cornerback position. They will also need to figure out the safety position, as both starters, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard III, are pending free agents.

On the offensive side of the ball, they also need to address the left tackle position after standout rookie Ozzy Trapilo suffered a torn Achilles last week against Green Bay. Other than that, they are completely set with every remaining starter locked in to their contract through next season.

Luckily for the Bears, defense appears to be a strength of the 2026 NFL Draft class. They should be able to come away with quite the haul if they play their cards right in that regard.

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Now that I've laid out the selections that the Bears have at their disposal.. Where should they focus their attention in the draft?

That's an easy one. Defense, defense, and more defense.

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