The Bears own the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Most mock drafts have the Bears selecting a defensive player in the first round, but history states that general manager Ryan Poles will add to head coach Ben Johnson's offense.
After a successful 11-6 season that featured a playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers, the Chicago Bears are looking to build off Year 1 with head coach Ben Johnson. The team currently holds the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
General manager Ryan Poles has a choice to make: continue fortifying the defense or give Johnson and Caleb Williams another premium asset?
Although the Bears added several playmakers on defense through free agency, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen still could use another pass rusher. However, history suggests the Bears won’t go that route.
Since 2018, there have been eight consecutive offensive players taken with the 25th overall pick.
- 2025: Jaxson Dart, QB (Giants)
- 2024: Jordan Morgan, OT (Packers)
- 2023: Dalton Kincaid, TE (Bills)
- 2022: Tyler Linderbaum, C (Ravens)
- 2021: Travis Etienne, RB (Jaguars)
- 2020: Brandon Aiyuk, WR (49ers)
- 2019: Marquise Brown, WR (Ravens)
- 2018: Hayden Hurst, TE (Ravens)
The Cleveland Browns selected the last defensive player at 25th overall with safety Jabrill Peppers in 2017. The Steelers drafted cornerback Artie Burns the previous year with the 25th overall pick.
You have to go back to 2018 to find the last time the Bears selected a defensive player in the first round: LB Roquan Smith out of Georgia with the No. 8 overall pick.
Will the Bears be the team to break this unique trend? A majority of mock drafts have the Bears selecting a defensive player, and there are legitimate reasons for that approach. Whether it’s a disruptive pass rusher like Miami’s Akheem Mesidor or Missouri’s Zion Young, the D-line could use another player off the edge for a defense that finished 27th in the NFL in pressure rate.
Another player in the secondary would also be helpful. Either safety Dillon Thieneman from Oregon or Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren would give Chicago a versatile counterpart to pair with Coby Bryant. The Bears allowed 6.8 passing yards per play last season, fifth worst in the NFL.
But the NFL trend says offense.
The Bears have an open competition at left tackle – one of the most important positions that will directly impact Williams for better or worse. What if Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor is available or Utah’s Caleb Lomu?
Making sure Williams has everything he needs to continue ascending must be a discussion point for everyone within the Bears’ organization. The Bears always traded away DJ Moore, meaning another wide receiver could be added. Give Johnson more firepower to utilize, and the possibilities could be endless for this Bears offense.
Regardless of the Bears’ needs and how the draft board falls, Poles is going to draft the best player available. That's how successful organizations are run and stay competitive from year to year.
Even though it has been eight years since a defensive player was taken No. 25 overall, Poles will be the one to break that cycle when the Bears make their first selection in the first round.