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The Chicago Bears are considering a trade to move up from the No. 25 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. This comes as they aim to address their pressing need for starting-caliber defensive talent.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 01: Kadyn Proctor of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 01, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Weâre a little over a week out from the Chicago Bears making their first selection of the 2026 NFL Draft, and the landscape has changed a lot since the end of last season.
WellâŠnot in the sense that the Bears still need starting-caliber defensive talent. Because they definitely do. Badly.
But free agency, plus the second-round pick the Bears added in the DJ Moore trade, has opened up the Bearsâ draft possibilities at No. 25. That might even include making a moveâŠup.
ESPNâs Bill Barnwell suggested it might not be as far-fetched as people might think in his latest piece.
âGeneral manager Ryan Poles has been aggressive in rebuilding a defense that struggled for consistency a year ago, moving on from starters such as Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard III and Tremaine Edmunds. The likes of Devin Bush and Coby Bryant were signed as replacements, but thereâs still a need to address the defensive line. âŠ
âPoles was able to extract a strong return for DJ Moore from the Bills, landing a second-round pick for a player the Bears probably wanted to dump for cash and cap purposes. The Bears have pick Nos. 25, 57, 60 and 89 over the first two days of the draft, and though they shouldnât be treating this as an all-in opportunity, this regime has a chance to move up and target a much-needed difference-maker up front. By the Jimmy Johnson chart, packaging No. 25 with 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. They would also jump the Lions in the process, a division rival who should be looking at edge rushers with their first selection. Thereâs nothing wrong with staying put and holding on to both second-rounders, of course, but this could be an opportunity for Poles to both hit his biggest position of need and steal an opportunity away from a divisional foe in the process.â
Personally, I would say trading up in this draft might not be the play given that itâs a pretty well-rounded class at a number of positions. Unless the Bears are confident the player theyâd be getting at a jump up to, say, No. 16 will, A. not be there at No. 25, and B. have a markedly greater impact than the players left on the board, they should probably sit tight (or, if anything, trade back).
That said, itâs worth wondering whom the Bears might consider a move up for if they truly were weighing that option.
A defensive lineman? Maybe if itâs Peter Woods, but thereâs a chance he might slip to 25. Plus, there are other interior defenders you could get there.
Edge? Possibly. If you think T.J. Parker is plug-and-play and you just have to pair him with Montez Sweat, I can see that.
But my money would probably be more on offensive tackle than anything in that scenario. Right now, the Bears have a lot of bodies that can, theoretically, play the position in 2026. However, no one really believes Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills, Theo Benedet, or Kiran Amegadjie are the left tackle of the future. So if one you like slips into your rangeâa lot of pundits are starting to come around on the idea of Kadyn Proctor, for instanceâthat could indeed be worth packaging one of your seconds to move up. Because odds are much smaller that youâll find a Day 1 starter after, well, Day 1 of the draft.
If you do that, though, youâd best not miss. Because Caleb Williamsâ future is too important to miss, and because you very well likely couldâve gotten a very good player with the pick you gave up.
Then again, thatâs what the NFL Draft is all about. Every move is a roll of the dice. With the Bears very much in âwin-nowâ mode, they canât afford too many major mistakes.
The Chicago Bears need to focus on acquiring starting-caliber defensive talent in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears may trade up to secure a higher pick and improve their chances of drafting top defensive talent.
The second-round pick from the DJ Moore trade enhances the Bears' draft strategy and flexibility, potentially allowing them to trade up.
The 2026 NFL Draft is set to occur in early April 2026, with the Bears making their first selection at No. 25.
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