The Chicago Bears are in a position to improve the defensive side of the football during the 2026 NFL Draft. There are some significant positions of need for the franchise before Week 1 kicks off in September, but after the combine, they have some decisions to make with the 25th pick. Let’s take a closer look at who they could be seeing on the board when they are on the clock.
The Chicago Bears select Kayden McDonald in Yahoo’s NFL mock draft
Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald wrote a one-round mock draft following the NFL Combine. For the B\ears, they would improve in the trenches by selecting Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. Below is the rationale they gave for this selection:
“Left tackle is very live here for Chicago, but the Bears must look to add beef to their defensive interior. And what better person to add beef than someone with the last name McDonald. McDonald has good bulk and is a strong run defender who actually racks up tackles rather than just plodding in the middle with his quick feet and ability to consistently shed his block. He is just an average pass rusher, but can help shore up a run defense that was prone to leaks in 2025.”
This is one of the consensus players who continues to pop up on multiple mock drafts, as it is a position of need for Chicago. McDonald was an All-American in 2025 and finished the season with 65 total tackles (31 solo, 34 assisted) with three sacks, nine tackles for loss, one pass deflection, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery. With the Bears having a need to improve on the defensive line, getting a talent like McDonald would certainly bolster the pass-rush.
The ability to stop the run is a bit of a concern for him, but the Bears could improve around him to get stops in the trenches against running backs. It will be intriguing to see how general manager Ryan Poles does this offseason to improve the defense specifically.
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