Best Available Players For the Bears After Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft

The first two nights of the 2026 NFL Draft are officially in the books. Day three of the draft is often where teams round out their roster with backups (who occasionally develop into starters) and special teams units.

With that said, there are always a handful of gems who massively outperform their draft position. Ryan Poles has managed to locate a handful of draft gems in recent years, with the most recent being 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai.

Unfortunately, the Bears are in a position where they might need to find a gem on the defensive side of the ball after opting to address the offense with their three selections on Friday night. Which players stand out from the crowd as they attempt to tackle that endeavor?

Gracen Halton

I've reached the 'fight of flight' stage of my relationship with University of Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton. I'm choosing to fight for us. I don't know why teams didn't see what I see (Kobie Turner-lite) in him, but I think whichever team that lands him is going to get a fourth-round steal. Or fifth, I guess. Or sixth, at this point?

Maybe this is something I should bury and never unearth, but Halton was at the top of my second-round big board. I would've been thrilled if the Bears drafted him at 60th overall before trading down. I'll be even more thrilled (albeit a bit miffed, again.. for us) if they're able to land him in the fourth (or wherever, I guess).

Jermod McCoy

Have we gotten a recent proof of life on Tennessee's Jermod McCoy? Are teams afraid that they'd be drafting a corpse if they call his name? I truly don't understand how we've gone 100 picks without a team taking a chance on his talent. We saw cornerback Will Johnson fall to the mid-second round last year and play really well once he got on the field.

I thought a Will Johnson-esque fall was within the realm of possibilities, but I actually saw that as his floor. McCoy has somehow managed to jackhammer through the foundation. There's some concern that he might need another surgery on the torn ACL he suffered in 2024, but he's a surefire first-round talent when healthy. He was well worth the risk at any point in the third round and easily the best remaining player on the board.

Malik Muhammad

University of Texas cover man Malik Muhammad is another talented player who I'm surprised didn't come off the board in the third round. While he's skinny at only 182 lbs., he plays bigger than his frame would suggest. The 21-year-old can hold his own in press coverage, and he's pretty scheme versatile.

While Muhamma is a bit more frail than the average Dennis Allen cover man, I don't think that would prevent them from taking a shot on him if he were to still be on the board in the fourth round (although I admittedly don't have a great bead on their draft formula after their two third-round selections). They either have a lot more faith in Tyrique Stevenson than last season would indicate, or they're going to add to their cornerback room at some point.

Dani Dennis-Sutton

The second round just didn't seem to go the Bears' way. I imagine they hoped to take advantage of the great depth still available along the defensive line, but there was a MASSIVE run on defensive linemen early. The Patriots swooped in and traded up for the last remaining logical selection (who happened to be a very logical selection) two picks before the Bears were on the clock at pick 57.

Penn State edge rusher Dani Dennis Sutton is seemingly the only remaining defensive end who could develop into anything more than a backup or situational pass rusher (although he's not exactly in a prime position to accomplish that goal, himself). He plays well against the run and has a few traits that should interest Dennis Allen.

Zxavian Harris

At 6'8" and 330 lbs., Ole Miss defensive tackle Zxavian Harris is an absolute UNIT. He's extremely raw and might never develop into a quality pass-rusher. However, his sheer size (and his ability to use it to his advantage) will allow him to make an immediate impact on early downs.

The only question mark is that he enters the league with character concerns. He has two arrests on his record, and that's probably a major reason he has yet to hear his name called. When it comes to pure on-field talent, Harris belongs. They would need to get the green light on his record before taking a chance, though.

Kyle Louis

Pittsburgh linebacker Kyle Louis is going to start for whichever team lands him. He might even start from day one. He's instinctive, lightning fast (which shows up heavily in coverage), and packs a punch on arrival.

Really, the only reason I can think of for why he fell is that he might be viewed as a tweener. Some think he's too small to play linebacker and might be a better fit for strong safety. I think this is a combination of teams devaluing the linebacker position and overthinking a good football player. He'll be another fourth-round steal.

Keionte Scott

Keionte Scott is most often considered a slot cornerback or safety. With Kyler Gordon manning the nickelback position, and Dillon Thieneman playing on the back end, neither role will need to be filled for Chicago. However, Scott also has experience playing outside cornerback. If they have confidence that he can hold up on the perimeter, then he would make a lot of sense for the Bears.

Scott is an older prospect at 25 years old, but he's one of the feistiest cover men in this year's class (hence those who think his most natural position might be at safety). He's fully capable of making plays near the line of scrimmage and is no chump in coverage. I thought Scott could've potentially been in the Bears wheelhouse in the second round if they prioritized the defensive line in the first, and he would be another potential steal in the fourth.

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