B
Chicago Bears
The Bears did the meat-and-potatoes work well: B.
by Jay Cutler ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
You can fall in love with a player. You are not supposed to marry him in the wrong round. The Bears did exactly that with J. Michael Sturdivant in the 129th overall pick. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
However the rest shakes out, Hill Jr. at that price is a win they earned. They punted on running back, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
The trade work was a quiet net positive.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 20th overall pick they get a quarterback's worst nightmare, though they paid up to get him. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A tidy little value on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the Round 2 slot, a step better than break-even. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Christen Miller in Round 2, Pick 31. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Circle this one: Anthony Hill Jr. at No. 65 is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.
J. Michael Sturdivant in the 129th pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Parker Brailsford at pick 131 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A need, and now a little less of one.
VJ Payne in Round 6, Pick 10 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.
Jack Kelly at slot 239 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Thaddeus Dixon at No. 241 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A big swing on Jordan White at the 256th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.