The Chicago Bears, holding the 25th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, may trade up to address their needs for an edge rusher or offensive tackle. A proposed trade could allow them to leapfrog the Detroit Lions, who pick 17th overall.
Bears trade idea hurdles Lions in NFL Draft for a position both teams need originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Chicago Bears own the 25th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but they also own two second-round picks, one of which could be used to trade up in the draft.
Chicago has a few clear needs this offseason entering the draft, with edge rusher and offensive tackle the biggest needs by a wide margin. But, at 25th overall, landing a top-tier player, especially at edge rusher, might be a bit tricky.
That's why ESPN's Bill Barnwell proposed a trade idea for the Bears that would have them moving up in the draft, hurdling the Detroit Lions at 17th overall, to take a player Ben Johnson's former team might be considering with their first round pick.
"By the Jimmy Johnson chart, packaging No. 25with the 60th pick they landed from the Bills should be enough to get the Bears up to No. 16, where the Jets could be interested in trading down and adding more selections," Barnwell writes. "They should also jump the Lions in the process, a division rival who should be looking at edge rushers with their first selection."
This idea from Barnwell would be a wild one, but such a fitting move for the Ben Johnson-era Bears. Hurdling the NFC North rival Lions to land a new edge rusher would make a lot of sense.
Sure, sending a second-rounder to move up nine spots in the middle of the first round might be a lot, but the Bears would be giving up a late second and getting back a premium pick to land an edge rusher.
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It's incredibly unlikely Ruben Bain Jr. is available at 16th overall, but his edge-rusher teammate Akheem Mesidor is very possibly still available as would Auburn's Keldrick Faulk, Texas A&M's Cashius Howell, Clemson's T.J. Parker, and Missouri's Zion Young.
Any of those options would be great for the Bears, but if they were to leap the Lions for an edge, it would most likely be for Faulk or Mesidor.
Sending the 60th and 25th pick to move up to 16th overall isn't a cheap package, but if the Bears could get a difference-making edge like Mesidor or Faulk, while stopping the Lions from getting such a player, it's a move that would be fun for multiple reasons.
While Barnwell's trade idea might be a bold one, it's not out of the question for the Bears. Ryan Poles can be aggressive when needed, and hurdling the Lions for a top edge rusher might not be a bad idea.
The Chicago Bears currently hold the 25th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears may trade up to secure a top-tier edge rusher or offensive tackle, as these are their biggest needs this offseason.
The Bears aim to surpass the Detroit Lions, who hold the 17th overall pick in the draft.
ESPN's Bill Barnwell proposed the trade idea for the Bears to move up in the NFL Draft.
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