Chicago Bears NFL Mock Draft Roundup 4.0

The Bears continue their secondary makeover by drafting McNeil-Warren, pairing him with free-agent acquisition Coby Bryant to give Chicago a new safety tandem for 2026. McNeil-Warren had five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two interceptions (one pick-six) at Toledo last season.

The Bears need to keep investing in edge rushers after tying for the worst pass rush win rate in 2025 (28.8%) and not signing any big-time free agents. Young would be a good fit here because of his play style. He uses heavy, power hands and his 6-6 frame to engage and run through offensive tackles.

Young also has some versatility to reduce down inside on sub downs and rush effectively because his sturdy frame can withstand contact. He had 6.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in 2025.

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 disrupter 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).

Stukes is a hybrid player who can effectively impact the running game (28 tackles on designed rushes in 2025) and produce in coverage (four INTs). He's an older prospect at age 26, but he'd be a useful addition to a Chicago safety room that lost Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker in free agency.

He played heavy last year, and didn't play as well. That's why he's down this far in the draft. But Woods was once considered a top-10 talent and his weight is down.

One thing has become apparent during all these pre-draft exercises: The menu of players available at No. 25 is consistently appealing. In this instance, the depth of the edge rusher class helps swing things in McNeil-Warren's favor, with the Bears adding another weapon to the back end of their defense. Speed: check. Size: check. Passion: check. Playmaking ability: check. General manager Ryan Poles has long contended that safety is the hardest position to evaluate for the draft. But energetic, productive players like McNeil-Warren make it easier. His physicality and fluidity will pair well with newcomer Coby Bryant. — Dan Wiederer

Woods' draft day slide stops here with the Bears adding a real home run swing at a position of desperate need. Chicago's defensive line was not stout enough last season and, at his best, Woods can be an impact defender at multiple alignments along the interior. The Bears have tried their hand at a few defensive tackle prospects over the last few years, but Woods has a higher floor than their recent Day 2 ventures.

Need a Monster of the Midway? How about a 6-foot-4, 200-pound DB with a penchant for big hits and finding the ball? And it certainly seems like the Bears could use one with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leaving the back line during free agency. McNeil-Warren and recently signed Coby Bryant could equate to a nice recovery plan.

McNeil-Warren has the size, length and playmaking ability to fill the void left by Jaquan Brisker -- in fact, I believe EMW would be an upgrade at the position.

The Bears had 35 sacks (tied for 22nd) and a lowly 28.0% pressure rate (29th) last season. Montez Sweat had 10 of those sacks, but there wasn't much beyond him. Dayo Odeyingbo was signed last offseason to be the second guy off the edge, but he managed one sack over eight games before an Achilles injury ended his season. Despite struggling to find consistent quarterback pressure for a few years now, Chicago hasn't used a top-50 pick on an edge rusher since Leonard Floyd went ninth in 2016.

Let's change that. Young had 6.5 sacks and 46 pressures last season, playing with power and a full-go motor. He'd bring some intensity to the Bears' front.

The Bears said goodbye to DJ Moore recently, so they could use another pass-catcher. Tyson's a big-bodied guy, and I love the idea of quarterback Caleb Williams throwing to larger targets. Williams likes to improvise, and he does that well.