TJ Edwards
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - NOVEMBER 17: T.J. Edwards #53 of the Chicago Bears looks on against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field on November 17, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have a ton of different avenues they could take during the 2026 NFL Draft, and in ESPN analyst Field Yates’ latest mock draft, he has the Bears selecting Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the second round, which could have serious implications for linebacker TJ Edwards.
Edwards will be 30 years old by the time next season rolls around, and he only appeared in 10 regular-season games last season. He also battled through multiple injuries last season, including a nagging hamstring injury that kept him out of the first few games, along with a broken hand midseason, and eventually a fractured fibula during the 31-27 comeback against the Green Bay Packers, which knocked him out of the matchup against the Los Angeles Rams.
Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron already talked about Edwards’ uncertain future after the season, writing, “I also got the idea that the Bears wouldn’t mind moving on from TJ Edwards as well, but that it didn’t make much sense financially, and that Edwards, being an off-ball linebacker who is 30 years old and coming off a significant injury, has no trade value. Edwards will most likely be here in 2026 because of what was laid out above, but will almost certainly be gone in 2027.”
Adding a linebacker early in the draft would only add to Edwards’ uncertain future in Chicago.
Drafting Jacob Rodriguez Puts TJ Edwards’ Future in Doubt
Jacob Rodriguez
GettyJacob Rodriguez #10 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders defends during the first half of the game against the BYU Cougars.
Having Edwards on the roster shouldn’t deter from drafting Rodriguez. As previously mentioned, Yates has the Bears drafting him with the first of two second-round picks, writing, “Chicago’s defensive overhaul this offseason included the release of Tremaine Edmunds and an overall focus on getting faster. Rodriguez would help with the latter in Edmunds’ place. Making him an even better fit is that he’s the best ball disruptor in the class; he forced an astonishing seven fumbles and had four interceptions in 2025. The Bears led the NFL in takeaways last season (33).”
Personally, drafting a linebacker like Rodriguez early feels more like looking toward the future without Edwards on the roster than it does about replacing Edmunds.
Regardless, he would be a fantastic pick. The Butkus Award winner (top linebacker), Lombardi Award winner (top lineman/linebacker), and Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner (top defensive player), unanimous All-American, and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, it’s hard to argue why any team shouldn’t draft Rodriguez.
He’s also one of just two linebackers (Jack Campbell) since 2015 with a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) higher than 9.5/10 and a coverage grade higher than 92.0 in at least one college season.
The Bears have plenty of linebackers at the moment, including Edwards, Devin Bush, D’Marco Jackson, Jack Sanborn, and Noah Sewell, but it shouldn’t stop the Bears from drafting Rodriguez if he’s available in the second round.
Adam Carter
The only LB prospects since 2015 with an RAS > 9.50 and a coverage grade > 92.0 in at least one college season. Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez projects as a ‘Tier 1’ bluechip level prospect..
🔘 Jack Campbell, Iowa 🔘 Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
More on the Pros and Cons of Rodriguez
Rodriguez is not a perfect prospect, but there’s a lot to like about him. Here are some pros and cons courtesy of BengalsBrews on X:
Pros
Productive with 255 tackles, 6 sacks, 5 interceptions, and 10 forced fumbles over the last two seasons
Team captain and leader
Physicality as a tackler
Football intelligence and was originally a QB at Virginia
Impressive instincts
94.8 run defense grade in 2025
92.3 coverage grade
Cons
Fifth-year senior
Foot injury limited him to just five games played in 2023
Lacks ideal size and length (6’1″, 230-lbs)
Disengaging from blocks
“Draft Projection: Top 75”
For the cons, general manager Ryan Poles isn’t afraid to draft older prospects, the injury was back in 2023, and Rodriguez followed that injury with impressive production during 2024-25, and the Bears just signed Bush to a three-year, $30 million deal, who also doesn’t boast ideal size and length (5’11”, 235-lbs).
Jacob Rodriguez should be a name to watch for the Bears heading into the 2026 NFL Draft.