B
Chicago Bears
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Bears and Rodriguez: B.
by abraxasny ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 7 steals
· 2 reaches
The board owed the Bears one, and it paid up: Jacob Rodriguez, the No. 51 name on the board, sitting there at pick No. 167 like a gift left on the doorstep. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B.
The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Every board in the league had World lower, and that gap is the story.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 25 they get a green-dot type in the middle, outstanding value to boot.
A slide stopped in pick 57, with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren worth more than the price. It adds depth where they could use a little.
You do not let a cornerback like Colton Hood reach slot 69 and blink. They did not. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Lee Hunter at the Round 3 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jake Slaughter at the 106th overall pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The roster fit checks out.
A real head-scratcher, Isaiah World in the 129th pick is miles ahead of his ranking. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Jacob Rodriguez in No. 167, plain and simple. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Kaelon Black slid further than he should have, and Round 7, Pick 23 is lovely value for the running back. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They paid a round early for Eli Heidenreich in pick 241, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.