The 2026 NFL draft will be interesting to watch after the Chicago Bears exceeded expectations during head coach Ben Johnson's first year. It makes sense to capitalize on last season's momentum to stay atop the NFC North, and April's draft can help a lot with that goal if general manager Ryan Poles can play his cards right.
With the offense performing like one of the NFL's best units last season, it makes sense for the Bears to target defensive prospects early on. With this in mind, this mock draft's first pick sees Chicago bolster a linebacker room in need of upgrades.
Early Bears Mock Draft 2026: Rounds 1-3
Pick 25: C.J. Allen, LB — Georgia
Tremaine Edmunds is considered a clear cap casualty option while fellow linebackers Noah Sewell and T.J. Edwards are coming off season-ending injuries. The lack of reliable LB depth sets up the Bears to draft someone like Georgia linebacker C.J. Allen in Round 1.
Allen has all of the tools you want from a middle linebacker with the range and coverage skills needed to thrive in Chicago. It wouldn't be the first time the Bears have gone this route, either, drafting Roquan Smith, who offered a similar profile and was the perfect fit for a defense that wasn't ready for his talents.
In 579 defensive snaps with the Bulldogs in 2025, Allen recorded a career-high 71 solo tackles while adding 13 pressures and three pass break-ups, per Pro Football Focus. The 10.6 yards per catch he allowed was a drop-off from his 2024 effort (15.2), showing impressive improvements in coverage.
Adding an NFL-ready prospect like Allen would take a ton of pressure off the Bears' rehabbing linebackers. That alone makes a selection worth considering, especially if defensive coordinator Dennis Allen can play to his strengths.
Pick 57: Christen Miller, DT — Georgia
Chicago attempted to solve its problems in the middle of the defensive line by signing veteran Grady Jarrett last offseason. That signing ended up being a flop, leaving the Bears looking for help again this offseason.
Arguably, there is no better place to turn than back to Georgia, which has recently offered Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter as examples of the school's ability to develop defensive linemen. Christen Miller is the latest Bulldog to hit the draft and would be a great presence to plug into the middle of the Bears' lineup.
Not only has Jarrett failed to live up to expectations, but you're getting ready to lose depth in Chris Williams and Andrew Billings to free agency. Selecting Miller helps offset this and gives the Bears a better chance to plug up the middle of its defense as well as register interior pressures.
Jarrett will benefit from taking more reps off, giving him a higher chance of recapturing the form that led to Chicago signing the defender in the first place. Building on this is an unexpected quickness from Miller that isn't typical of a man of his size, which could provide some juice to a pass rush that finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in 2025 (35).
Miller has the potential to offer a starting presence early in his career. That's why the Bears can't blink twice if he's still on the board when the 57th overall pick is ready to be announced.
Pick 89: Sam Roush, TE — Stanford
Drafting Stanford tight end Sam Roush might not make initial sense after Colston Loveland's selection last year, but the vision becomes clearer with some explaining.
After all, veteran TE Cole Kmet's future in the Windy City isn't clear. Up to $9 million can be saved by trading Kmet this offseason, per Spotrac, and with the Bears already rostering Loveland and needing financial help to fill out other holds, a divorce could be on the horizon.
Although the experience difference is obvious, Roush would be a solid replacement if the Bears trade Kmet this offseason. The Atlanta native tallied 49 catches for 545 yards and a pair of touchdowns in his final college season, marking the third consecutive season that his reception and yardage totals increased.
Roush isn't the perfect blocker to complement Loveland's playmaking; however, he did play 43 pressure-free pass-blocking downs in 2025, per Pro Football Focus. Having him help support Chicago's offensive line while contributing as a pass-catcher when needed could open up new layers to the aerial attack.
Showing signs of improvement each season, Roush is the type of prospect who'd fit in well with the up-and-coming Bears. That's why Chicago must do whatever it takes to bring him to the Windy City in April.