2026 Bears mock draft: Making Day 3 picks after first three rounds

Lions Kaleb Proctor 2, LSU Tigers take on the Southeastern Louisiana. Sept 20, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft have c0me and gone. To say that they have not gone the way that Bears fans anticipated would be an understatement. With each of Chicago’s three selections on Day 2 of the draft, general manager Ryan Poles made all of his picks on the offensive side of the ball. The anticipation was that they’d target defense heavily in 2026 after Ben Johnson’s offense led them to the playoffs, partially in part to each of their first three picks in 2025 being on the offensive side of the ball. Additions like Logan Jones, Sam Roush, and Zavion Thomas bring elements of athleticism to the Bears’ offense at center, tight end, and wide receiver, respectively. Now, though, it’s time to get to the meat and potatoes. Using PFSN’s NFL Mock Draft Simulator, which is updated with all the latest selections and trades, I made picks for the Bears in the final four rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft in our final mock draft of the 2026 draft cycle.

Round 4 (via Rams): Kaleb Proctor, DT, Southeastern Louisiana

The top FCS player on my board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Kaleb Proctor, had 9.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for a loss this past season. He’s a dynamic athlete at defensive tackle with quick hands and elite mobility for his size, as his stellar game against LSU showcased; he tallied two sacks against the best competition he’s ever faced. Though he’s a smaller defensive tackle coming from the FCS level, that’s the reason he’s still available going into Day 3. His pass-rushing ability and athleticism are more than enough to warrant a fourth-round selection, however. His low center of gravity, elite explosiveness, and pass-rushing IQ would make him a seamless fit for the Bears.

Round 5 (from Titans via Rams and Titans): Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington

Dennis Allen historically likes big cornerback. Check out these measurements for Ephesians Prysock: 98th-percentile height for a cornerback at 6’3”, 95th-percentile wingspan at 80 1/2 inches, and 94th-percentile arm length at 33 1/8 inches. He’s a little high-hipped and can struggle changing direction sharply, as some taller cornerbacks typically do. However, he has good ball-tracking skills in coverage, ideal physicality as a tackler and at the catch point, and solid deep speed, as his 4.45 40-yard dash would indicate.

Round 7 (from Eagles via Jaguars and Browns): Michael Heldman, EDGE, Central Michigan

With a 9.88 Relative Athletic Score out of 10, Michael Heldman is a 6’4”, 268-pound edge rusher who has 10.5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for a loss for the Chippewas this season. He has a dense frame and a sturdy anchor that can help him set the edge in the run game, and he has impressive short-area quickness to stress out offensive tackles of the edge. I think he’s a sneaky good fit for the Bears’ defense and a player worth selecting on Day 3 with his level of athleticism and production.

Round 7: Delby Lemieux, G, Dartmouth

Though Delby Lemieux was a tackle at Dartmouth, I like him better along the interior due to a lack of length. In 950 total pass-blocking snaps in college, he allowed just three sacks. Himself having a 9.33 RAS with tremendous speed and agility numbers, which shows up in his explosiveness off the line of scrimmage and body control as a reach blocker in the run game. He’s not a pro-ready starter as he works on improving his play strength, and he doesn’t have long arms to begin with. However, Lemieux dominated at the FCS level and projects as very good depth along the interior. Having him and Luke Newman as the backup guards behind Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson would be a nice situation for the Bears.