The Chicago Bears are just hours away from being on the clock with the 2026 NFL Draft, where they’re going to have to wait and see how the board falls before selecting 25th overall.
General manager Ryan Poles said that him and his team are prepared and confident heading into the draft, where they’re “ready for anything that comes our way.” New assistant GM Jeff King, who took questions from the media on Tuesday, echoed Poles’ sentiments about preparation and being adaptable to what’s thrown their way. At the end of the day, King said the Bears are looking “to add talent, competition, bring the right football players and the right character into the building.”
In the latest round of NFL mock drafts, there’s one position group that’s emerging among the rest. While defensive tackle was the popular mock pick early on in the pre-draft process, that’s since shifted to edge rusher, where they could be some big names available come No. 25.
With the NFL draft just a day away, we rounded up the latest mock drafts, where experts make their final picks for the Bears with the 25th overall selection:
USA Today: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Nate Davis: “Proctor’s performance at the Tide’s pro day, when he was clearly in optimal shape, helped showcase the kind of player and athlete he can be – which is to say one who could very nicely safeguard QB Caleb Williams … and maybe catch a pass or two in the red zone given coach Ben Johnson’s propensity for gadget plays. And, at a time when Chicago is facing patchwork options at left tackle after Ozzy Trapilo ruptured his patellar tendon in the playoffs, why not solidify the spot for the long term with a player who has so much potential.”
The Athletic: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Kevin Fishbain: “The Bears are in win-now mode, so I’m not too concerned about Mesidor’s age (25), especially considering his prolific production in college — 12.5 sacks last season and 35.5 in his career. With Dayo Odeyingbo coming off an Achilles injury and Shemar Turner recovering from an ACL tear, the Bears — who finished 21st in sacks per pass last season — could use a force off the edge.
Mesidor “plays with his hair on fire — menacing demeanor gives blockers fits,” Brugler wrote, and that’ll be music to the ears of coach Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. The Bears were also among the worst teams in stopping the run last season. Enter Mesidor, who “sets a sturdy edge to restrict outside runs.” Mesidor could join Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Odeyingbo and Turner in giving Allen a deeper rotation of edge rushers.”
ESPN: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
Peter Schrager: “Edge is a big need for Chicago. The Bears have to find someone to create pressure opposite Montez Sweat. We might see a little push for edge rushers at the end of Round 1, and Chicago could land Parker with the hope that he gets back to his 11-sack production of 2024 (he had five in 2025).”
NFL.com: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Bucky Brooks: “There is always room for a high-motor defender with pass-rush skills on a Dennis Allen-coached defense. Mesidor is an aggressive edge with violent hands and a relentless spirit that overwhelms opponents at the point of attack.”
ESPN Nation: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Courtney Cronin: “The fact that Proctor was still available at No. 25 settled the debate of drafting an offensive lineman over a pass rusher. Chicago had the best pass-blocking unit last season, but there’s uncertainty at left tackle because of Ozzy Trapilo’s knee injury. Despite being a rookie, Proctor would shoot to the top of the list of options to start day one. And whenever Trapilo is able to return, the Bears would have the option to move Proctor inside to guard.”
CBS Sports: Caleb Banks, DT, Florida
Ryan Wilson: “There has been a run on edge rushers, and I think the Bears get more value from bolstering the defensive line over safety at pick No. 25. Either way, this pick will come down to one thing: the medicals. Because when Banks is on the field — and he missed significant time in 2025 — he is just about unstoppable. He reminded us of that at the Senior Bowl, where he had three really impressive practices … and then got hurt again at the combine. A healthy Caleb Banks is one of the best players in the class; concerns about his health, however, could drop him out of Day 1.”
Yahoo! Sports: Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah
Nate Tice: “The spine of the defense could be looked at here, but the Bears’ offensive line went from among the league’s best to a big question mark in a hurry. Left tackle became a position of need after Ozzy Trapilo suffered a late-season injury, and Lomu’s light feet and easy moving athleticism would make him a great fit in an offense that runs a good heaping of zone runs and puts its offensive linemen on the move. Lomu could end up the best left tackle in this year’s class if he keeps adding strength and builds on his flashes of high-end pass protection plays.”
Sports Illustrated: Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami
Conor Orr: “I don’t mind that he’s 25 if this is a projected draft class with so few players expected to sign second contracts anyway. If Mesidor has a better chance of contributing, who cares if he’ll be almost 30 by the time he’s up for a second contract? Again, there may only be 15 first-round-caliber players in this draft, and Mesidor is slipping due to a scale that doesn’t really apply to a draft that is devoid of quality anyway. The Bears don’t have much time remaining on Caleb Williams’s rookie deal. Apply the pressure now and dip back into the edge class next year (or in the second round with a more developmental player).”
Sporting News: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Vinnie Iyer: “The Bears have been attached to Faulk as a big complementary pass rusher to Montez Sweat since early in the draft process. His powerful style is much like a combination of former Dennis Allen stars Cameron Jordan and Trey Hendrickson.”
NBC Sports: Keldric Faulk, EDGE, Auburn
Kyle Dvorchak: “The Bears have most positions taken care of on offense. The same can’t be said of their defense after they failed to land any of the big-ticket pass-rushers available via free agency or trade this offseason. In a class of undersized pass-rush specialists, Faulk sticks out as a true defensive end, standing at 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds. He would immediately improve the Bears’ defense on all three downs.”
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 2026 NFL mock draft round-up: Experts make final picks for Bears at 25
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
