As the Chicago Bears continue their preparation for the 2026 NFL Draft, more pre-draft visits will be scheduled with prospects. The Bears are reportedly meeting with Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder.
As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, the Chicago Bears, along with the 31 other teams, will be doing their homework on potential prospects who they believe will help their organization.
For the hyper-focused fans wondering who their team could be hosting for visits, social media will provide answers, as reports and leaks will flood timelines from now until April.
According to NFL and CFB analyst Ryan Fowler, Michigan linebacker Jimmy Rolder is scheduled to visit the Bears, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Rolder played his high school ball at Marist High School in Chicago before attending Michigan for all four years.
The 6-foot-2 ½, 238-pound linebacker finished with 73 total tackles, two sacks, two passes defensed, one fumble recovery and an interception in 12 games played during his senior season.
According to Pro Football Focus, Rolder’s best game of the 2025 season was in Week 9 against rival Michigan State. Rolder ended with three total quarterback pressures, including one sack, 11 tackles and one pass breakup.
For three of his four college seasons, Rolder has played in at least 12 games. However, his sophomore season – which ended with Michigan winning the college football championship – he was limited to just six games because of various injuries.
Here is what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote about the linebacker prospect.
“Rolder’s instincts and run-game consistency make it hard to believe he was only a one-year starter in college. He plays low and leveraged with violent hands to shock and slip off blocks. He finds the best routes to the run gap and maneuvers around traffic with efficiency to tighten angles to the ball-carrier. He plays with good awareness and change of direction in space but has average pursuit speed and coverage talent. Few linebackers in this draft finish tackles with the technique and consistency he displays. If you trust the tape and ignore his lack of experience, Rolder profiles as a future starting inside linebacker.”
The Bears have a crowded linebacker room after signing Devin Bush and Jack Sanborn in free agency. Those two additions join T.J. Edwards, D'Marco Jackson, Ruben Hypollite II, Noah Sewell and Dominique Hampton.
If the Bears were to draft a linebacker, he would likely be competing for a backup role initially. Rolder would need to make an impact on special teams and continue to earn the coaching staff's trust until he is entrusted with more responsibility.