B-
Chicago Bears
The Bears robbed the room for Branch. Final grade: B-.
by bcap ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 4 steals
· 2 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Zachariah Branch at pick 109 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
That running back hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. Reaching for Lawrence left real value on the table behind him. Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 29 they get a centerfielder for the defense at fair value. More want than need.
Anthony Hill Jr. in the Round 2 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A conviction pick on Malachi Lawrence at slot 60 that the board grades a round light. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A tidy little value on Connor Lew in No. 89, a step better than break-even. A need, and now a little less of one.
Zachariah Branch in the 109th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board had cheaper options than DeMonte Capehart at Round 4, Pick 29, and it noticed. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Steal is underselling it; Thaddeus Dixon at pick No. 239 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Miles Kitselman at the 241st overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A minor itch, scratched.