Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Ben Johnson Bears Defense News
Getty
Bears head coach Ben Johnson.
The Chicago Bears are closing in on the next phase of their offseason roster-building with the first night of the 2026 NFL draft roughly two weeks away.
Unlike in years past, most of the Bears’ draft selections are in the back end of their respective rounds. Chicago counts the No. 25 overall pick as its most important asset and has two selections in the second round after trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
The Bears also do not have selections in the fifth or sixth rounds despite holding a pair of seventh-round picks, increasing the likelihood that general manager Ryan Poles and his front-office staff will explore opportunities to trade back and acquire more picks.
While the Bears are still conducting their pre-draft visits with intriguing prospects, here is an All-Chicago Bears seven-round mock draft that looks at how things might unfold for the franchise when the draft officially begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23:
Note: This mock draft was created using Pro Football Sports Network’s mock draft simulator along with the consensus rankings of the 2026 NFL draft prospects.
Round 1, Pick 25: Dillon Thieneman, SAF, Oregon
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Dillon Thieneman
GettyFormer Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
Thieneman may not make it out of the top 20, but the Bears should be thrilled if he is still available when they are on the clock at No. 25 overall. He is a three-year starter and ballhawk with ideal speed (4.37 seconds in the 40) and size (six-foot, 201 pounds) for Dennis Allen’s defensive scheme. He also has the versatility to align in multiple spots, making him a perfect running mate for $40 million free-agent signing Coby Bryant.
If the Bears lock in on Thieneman during the pre-draft process, don’t be surprised if they kick the tires on their options to trade up further into the first round to land him.
Round 2, Pick 60 (via BUF): Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Gabe Jacas
GettyFormer Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas.
I was worried that I would miss out on Jacas when trading back from No. 57 and was delighted to see he was still available, even though, like Thieneman, there is buzz that he could come off the board before the Bears make their first second-round selection.
Either way, Jacas is too talented an edge rusher for the Bears to pass up at this stage in the second round. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound prospect started four seasons for the Illini and made a name for himself with his quickness and violence off the edge, using his heavy, former-wrestler hands to bully his way into the pocket and power down the run. His 11 sacks during the 2025 FBS season tied for second in the Big Ten Conference.
Round 2, Pick 62 (via DEN): Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Davison Igbinosun
GettyFormer Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun.
Trade: The Bears move back five spots in the second round to acquire an early fourth-round selection, dealing Picks 57 and 239 to Denver in exchange for Picks 62 and 108.
Cornerback might seem like an odd choice to some Bears fans who are (rightly) eager to see Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon return to full strength in 2026, but the position is a sneaky need for Chicago in the draft. Not only did they just endure a season in which they did not have their top two cornerbacks, but they also allowed Nahshon Wright to walk in free agency and have Tyrique Stevenson entering a contract year.
Even with Terell Smith and Zah Frazier in play to compete for roles, corner is a need.
Enter Igbinosun, a 22-year-old cornerback with quality production and prototypical speed and size (6-foot-2, 189 pounds) for thriving as a perimeter defender in the NFL. He led the Buckeyes in interceptions and pass breakups in each of his final two seasons and made an impact as a run defender due to his Stevenson-esque aggressive playstyle. The biggest knock against him is his discipline with penalties, but the Bears are well-suited to fixing that problem with the reputable Al Harris on staff as their DBs coach.
Round 3, Pick 89: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Bryce Lance
GettyFormer North Dakota State wide receiver Bryce Lance.
The Bears have two clear starting wide receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III to take over for Moore and signed veteran Kalif Raymond to add more depth to the room alongside 2025 undrafted rookie standout Jahdae Walker, but more depth and more speed are necessary to ensure Ben Johnson’s 2026 offense reaches its potential.
While other needs will likely come first, Lance is a compelling option late in the third round. At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, he has good size and great length that pair nicely with his explosive speed, which earned him the fifth-fastest 40 time (4.34 seconds) at the NFL Combine in February. He is also adept at tracking deep balls and exhibits a high degree of confidence with his hands, unafraid of going up and getting physical.
There is some polish work to do with Lance at the line of scrimmage, and some teams may doubt whether he would have produced as well outside of the FCS, but Chicago has both the patience and the creative playcalling to make him a factor in his first season.
Round 4, Pick 108: Trey Zuhn III, OC, Texas A&M
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Trey Zuhn III
GettyFormer Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III.
Panic flooded through the Bears fanbase earlier this offseason when Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman unexpectedly retired from the NFL just one season after signing a three-year, $42 million contract with Chicago. The Bears adjusted with a trade for veteran starter Garrett Bradbury, but he is a short-term fix with one year left on his contract.
The big question is whether the Bears will aggressively pursue a new starting center in the class. While they may target someone like Kansas State’s Sam Hecht earlier in the draft for that purpose, I tend to think a prospect like Zuhn on Day 3 makes more sense. Zuhn is a smart, technically sound lineman with experience playing multiple OL roles. He didn’t add center experience to his resume until 2025, but he looked the part as a right-handed snapper and would have the luxury of learning as a backup in Chicago.
Additionally, Zuhn’s positional versatility could make him more valuable to the Bears. While his arms (33 inches) are probably too small to make him a good fit at tackle, he could realistically compete for roles at any of Chicago’s three interior positions.
Round 4, Pick 129 (via LAR): Zane Durant, DT, Penn State
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Zane Durant
GettyFormer Penn State defensive tackle Zane Durant.
Many mock drafts have the Bears adding a defensive tackle in the first two rounds, and maybe they do, but I lean toward thinking that they will more likely lead with a rotation of Gervon Dexter Sr., Grady Jarrett, Shemar Turner (if he returns to the interior) and newly signed veteran Neville Gallimore in 2026 unless a prospect blows them away.
Even still, I had the Bears take a chance on the anomalous Durant, a fiercely strong but smaller-sized defensive tackle who has the potential to develop into a reliable disruptor. Durant won most often with his strength in college, but he also showed a level of savvy in how he used his smaller build (6-foot-1, 290 pounds) to win quickly off the line. He did not have great interior production (four sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss) in his 12 games for the Nittany Lions in 2025, but he did deflect three passes and snag an interception.
Pencil him in as a 3-technique project who could potentially contribute as a rookie but is more likely to earn a meaningful role when current role players move on in 2027.
Round 7, Pick 241: Noah Whittington, RB, Oregon
Chicago Bears 7-Round Mock Draft: Noah Whittington
GettyFormer Oregon running back Noah Whittington.
The Bears have no reason to hit the panic button at running back despite offseason chatter about them looking to upgrade the room. Chicago finished with the third-best rushing offense (144.5 yards per game) in 2025 and will return both of the backs — veteran D’Andre Swift and rookie standout Kyle Monangai — who made it happen.
With Swift and Roschon Johnson’s contracts expiring after 2026, though, I decided to have the Bears take a chance on another seventh-round running back, Whittington, in hopes that they can recreate similar magic to what they got out of Monangai in 2025.
Whittington averaged about 6.4 yards per carry as the lead back for the Ducks in 2025, rushing for a career-high 829 yards and six touchdowns and displaying promising burst and contact balance when fighting through the holes. Despite his smaller frame (5-foot-8, 206 pounds), he is also an effective and willing pass blocker, skills that would serve him well playing in Chicago for Johnson’s everyone-must-block offensive mentality.
Given that Whittington can also return kicks and punts, he is a quality late Day 3 flier.