2026 Bears draft: Prospects from Chicagoland to remember

Note: These players are listed in order of their high school recruiting rankings from 247Sports. Older prospects are listed near the top, as well.

Athan Kaliakmanis, QB, Rutgers

The Bears hosted Athan Kaliakmanis on a local prospect visit, according to, well, me. He went to Antioch High School and started in 42 games between his stints with Minnesota and Rutgers.

Kaliakmanis is very much a pocket passer who won’t wow you with his arm talent or athleticism, necessarily. However, his experience shows in his compact throwing motion, his good sense of timing, and his poise in the pocket. He projects as a game-manager at the next level, and while I have an undrafted grade on him, there’s a chance he sneaks into the later rounds with his refined skill set and experience against Power 4 competition.

Round Projection: UDFA

Enrique Cruz Jr., G, Kansas

Hailing from Willowbrook, Enrique Cruz Jr. started at tackle in college but arguably projects better at guard at the next level. He comes into the NFL with 29 total starts between stints with Syracuse and Kansas.

When I watch Cruz’s tape, I come away impressed with his physicality at the point of attack. He generates some serious pop behind his pads, and he does a great job of keeping his legs churning through contact. Though his flexibility and agility are issues on tape — hence why I project him moving inside in the pros — he had an impressive 4.94 40-yard dash with a 92nd-percentile 10-yard split at the Combine. There are tools to work with there.

Round Projection: Round 5-6

Pat Coogan, C, Indiana

A key part of Indiana’s offensive line in their run to a national championship, Pat Coogan went to high school at Marist, playing there at the same time as two other players on this list. He was a two-year starter at Notre Dame before joining the Hoosiers in 2025, receiving second-team All-Big Ten honors.

Though Coogan won’t wow you as an athlete, he certainly has the technique and the football IQ needed to thrive at center. He’s versatile from a zone-gap run blocking standpoint, and he brings ideal physicality and grip strength to the table. His spatial awareness helps him find work in pass protection, and he’s capable of executing his assignment in zone situations as a run blocker consistently. Coogan is a little stiff in the lower half, but he has the potential be a solid backup at the next level.

Round Projection: Round 6-7

Lewis Bond, WR, Boston College

A Kenwood alumnus and a Chicago native, Lewis Bond was actually recruits out of high school as a running back. It’s interesting, then, that he’s grown into a team captain for Boston College at wide receiver who finished his collegiate career as the school’s all-time leader with 213 career receptions.

Bond is considered slightly undersized at 5’11” and 197 pounds, but he makes up for it with steady hands: he has a career drop rate of only 4.9%. As a route runner, he’s crisp out of his breaks and adjusts his stems to exploit leverage he sees against varying coverage looks. He’s crafty in how he uses his hands to create separation off the line of scrimmage, too. He won’t wow you with pure deep speed or play strength, but he’s a better football player than Combine-setting tester. Bond belongs in the NFL.

Round Projection: Round 6-7

George Gumbs Jr., EDGE, Florida

George Gumbs Jr. came out of Simeon as a wide receiver, committing to Northern Illinois. It was there he made the switch to tight end and eventually defensive end, and his success at NIU at the latter earned him a scholarship with Florida as a transfer. He spent his final two years in college as a key member of the Gators’ defense.

As it pertains to the Bears, Gumbs might not have the size that Dennis Allen historically prefers in an edge rusher at 245 pounds. However, he has solid length and wins often with his athleticism and flexibility. He’s quick off the line of scrimmage, showcases good closing speed in pursuit as a defender in space, and he plays with a more refined counter game than one would expect for his inexperience. Gumbs will need some work in an NFL strength program to improve how he sets the edge and converts speed to power, but I like him as depth in a base 3-4 system as an outside linebacker.

Round Projection: Round 5-6

Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

In the first year of PFSN’s TE Impact Scoring, Tanner Koziol led the nation with an 86.5 score. A Bloomingdale native who went to Mount Vernon for high school, he ranks second in FBS history among all tight ends with 237 career receptions.

Koziol is a tall, lanky tight end at 6’7” and 247 pounds. He’s a sure-handed pass catcher with impressive ball skills, which combines with his catch radius to make him a nightmare to defend in contested catch situations. He’s a little top-heavy as a blocker, and his high center of gravity makes sudden movements as a route runner difficult. But Koziol is such a power forward-type tight end who squares up to the ball well in the air, has enough quickness to create separation across the middle of the field, and win at the catch point.

Round Projection: Round 4-5

Mason Reiger, EDGE, Wisconsin

Mason Reiger comes from Hoffman Estates and attended Conant High School. He was a solid contributor for Louisville before transferring to Wisconsin, where he had five sacks in 2025. He heads into the 2026 NFL Draft with the second-high vertical jump for an edge rusher in this class at 40 inches, as well as being tied for the fourth-longest broad jump at his position at 10’5”.

Though Reiger didn’t run insanely well at the Combine, I like the acceleration he shows coming off the snap on tape. Against Iowa in particular, I liked the quickness he displayed and the flexibility at the top of his arc as a pass rusher. He has a nice arsenal of moves he can use to shed blocks, and I like his inside move to work across an offensive tackle’s chest. His body control can improve, as he’s a little too loopy and winded in his movements. His anchor strength against the run could also get better. That said, I like Reiger as a depth piece off the edge.

Round Projection: Round 4-5

Keagen Trost, G, Missouri

Of the 753 qualified offensive linemen across the FBS, Keagen Trost led all of them with a near-perfect 99.9 PFSN OL Impact Score this season. A zero-star recruit coming out of Kankakee High School, Trost bounced around from Morgan State, Indiana State, and Wake Forest before landing at Mizzou for his final year of collegiate eligibility. In addition to his high score, he was a first-team All-American in 2025. Needless to say, joining the Tigers was a great decision.

Though Trost played at tackle in college, I project him better as a guard due to his subpar length. He’s also not the rangiest mover in pass protection. That said, he does practically all the fundamentals well. He takes precise angles blocking on the move, rolling his hips through contact and landing his strikes accurately at the point of attack. His processing in pass protection is strong, and he has a sturdy anchor absorbing power. Trost has a high floor, and his versatility as a likely guard convert who’s played tackle should entice NFL teams.

Round Projection: Round 4-5

Hank Beatty, WR, Illinois

Though not technically Chicagoland, Rochester High School sits just outside of Springfield and served as the stomping grounds for Hank Beatty, who ends his four seasons at Illinois as a two-time All-Big Ten honoree. He was an impact punt returner for the Fighting Illini, tallying 531 career return yards on 38 returns (14.0 yards per punt return) with a touchdown. He also broke out as a receiver in 2025, finishing with 70 receptions for 864 yards and three touchdowns.

From a physical upside perspective, Beatty has an uphill battle to climb. He’s only 5’10” and 179 pounds and ran a disappointing 4.60 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. That said, he’s a sure-handed slot receiver with only a 2.8% career drop percentage at the collegiate level. He’s a shifty separator out of the slot with great hands who was able to overcome his pedestrian size and speed with refined route tempo adjustment and very good ball skills at the Big Ten level.

Round Projection: UDFA

Daniel Sobkowicz, WR, Illinois State

Coming out of Illinois State as a redshirt senior, Daniel Sobkowicz was an unheralded high school recruit coming out of Rolling Meadows High School in Arlington Heights. He surpassed expectations, notching three All-MVFC nominations, including a first-team nod in 2025. He ends his collegiate career with 262 receptions for 3,559 yards and 41 touchdowns. Sobkowicz’s best season came in his last year with the Redbirds, notching 83 catches for 1,141 yards and 19 touchdowns.

As his 4.63 40-yard dash would indicate, Sobkowicz doesn’t win often with raw speed. Rather, he has a 6’2” frame he uses to outreach and make grabs above the rim. He’s a crafty route runner who attacks leverage points well through his stems and can adjust the tempo of his patterns to work himself open against either man or zone. He’s a reliable catcher with good hands, and his ability to create subtle separation should entice NFL teams.

Round Projection: Round 7-UDFA

Quinton Urwiler, LB, Northern Illinois

It’s rare to see a Group of 5 player with only one year of starting tape generate NFL buzz. That’s the territory Quinton Urwiler finds himself in, though, as his 71 solo tackles led the FBS in 2025. He ended his lone year as a starter for NIU with 141 total tackles and 7.5 tackles for a loss, serving as a team captain for the Huskies in his final year of college eligibility.

The Batavia alumnus and Mooseheart native attended the Bears’ local Pro Day on April 7. He’s undersized at 5’10” and 232 pounds, and he has average speed for the linebacker position. That said, he’s a high-motored player who can change direction pretty well, and his stout frame works to his advantage as a form tackler with proper weight distribution. He could eventually crack a 53-man roster as a special teamer.

Round Projection: UDFA

Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan

Jimmy Rolder is also a one-year starter, and he also took advantage of the opportunity he was given was a strong 2025 campaign for Michigan. He graduated from Marist for high school, and he was a second-team All-Big Ten this past season with 73 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, and two sacks.

Rolder has a nice frame at 6’3” and 238 pounds, and he used that size to his advantage with impressive physicality on special teams early in his collegiate career. His inexperience can sometimes show in his being a split second too late to diagnose route concepts in zone across the middle of the field, but he takes precise angles to the ball in pursuit and wraps up with proper form and physicality. Rolder’s tenacity should make him a special teams star, and he could start to see more playing time on defense if he becomes more comfortable in coverage.

Round Projection: Round 5-6

Mark Gronowski, QB, Iowa

Originally a zero-star recruit from Neuqua Valley in Naperville, Mark Gronowski took his only D1 scholarship offer at South Dakota State and quickly made the most of it. He made 55 starts for the Jackrabbits and went 49-6, which is the best record of any starting quarterback in FCS history. He led his team to two national championships, and he parlayed that into getting the starting job at Iowa in 2025, where he tied for sixth in the FBS with 16 rushing touchdowns.

Gronowski’s big play ability as a passer didn’t translate super well to the FBS, though many quarterbacks have struggled to do so in Iowa’s offense. He still has a big arm, and he’s shown the ability to hit throws into tight windows. If anything, 2025 was a chance to showcases his above-average breakaway speed and agility, as he served as one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation with his rushing ability for the Hawkeyes.

Round Projection: Round 7-UDFA

Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

If you’re analyzing these prospects as potential Bears picks, Carnell Tate is the least likely of the bunch by far. The chances he’s available with the No. 25 pick are slim to none. He finished eighth in the FBS and sixth in the Power 4 with an 84.5 PFSN WR Impact Score, tallying 1,872 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns over the course of his three seasons at Ohio State. He was born in Chicago and started his high school career at Marist before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida.

Tate is a big-bodied perimeter receiver with impressive ball skills above the rim, good hands, and ideal competitiveness at the catch point. He’s a twitchier receiver than most players at 6’2”, and he attacks leverage points well through his stems to work himself open against whatever coverage looks he’s facing. He adjusts the tempo of his routes well to exploit soft spots in coverage, and he has better deep speed on tape than his 4.53 40-yard dash would indicate. Tate was a WR2 at Ohio State behind Jeremiah Smith, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he becomes a WR1 in the NFL in due time.

Round Projection: Top 15