The Chicago Bears are in the midst of an important offseason where general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson are focused on shoring up the roster at key positions of need.
There’s been plenty of movement already on the roster, including center Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement, wide receiver DJ Moore being traded to the Buffalo Bills, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds being released and the Bears trading for center Garrett Bradbury. And there’s still plenty more to come.
In a new two-round mock draft from ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid, the Bears keep their focus on the defense, taking two players at positions that are of their biggest needs this offseason. With the 25th overall pick, Reid has the Bears selecting defensive tackle Peter Woods out of Clemson, and with the 57th overall pick, safety Zakee Wheatley out of Penn State. Note: This mock draft was released before the Bears traded Moore for a second-round selection (60th overall).
“The Bears badly need a disruptive defensive tackle, so let’s give them my top-ranked player at the position,” Reid wrote of the Woods pick. “Despite not having the 2025 season that many envisioned (30 tackles and two sacks), Woods still showed plenty of Round 1 flashes. He’s a bouncy athlete at 6-3, 298 pounds who fits best as a 3-technique. His ability to create quick wins from the inside as an explosive penetrator is something that is sorely lacking in Chicago.”
As for Wheatley, Reid does not anticipate the Bears waiting long to address their big position of need at safety, with Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard facing free agency.
“Safety is arguably the Bears’ top need, as their top four safeties from last season are not under contract,” Reid wrote. “Wheatley is an underrated free safety who can play atop the defense but isn’t afraid of coming downhill in run support.”
It would be quite the replacement to take another safety out of Penn State in the event that Brisker departs Chicago this offseason, and it is clear that many mock drafts have the Bears focusing on defense, which remains a top priority heading into the NFL draft.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears 2026 mock draft: Chicago goes defense with back-to-back picks
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
