B
Chicago Bears
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Bears a B.
by WalterPayton ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 2 steals
· 4 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on J. Michael Sturdivant; the Bears did not wait, grabbing him 147 spots ahead at the 129th overall pick.
The Hill Jr. value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere. The running back hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
Good work on the whole, with running back the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 20 they get a premier pass rusher, reach and all. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Fair-plus on Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Christen Miller at Round 2, Pick 31 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Circle this one: Anthony Hill Jr. at the 65th pick is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; J. Michael Sturdivant in pick No. 129 says they were not listening. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They paid sticker price for Parker Brailsford in the Round 4 slot, and that is fine. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They took VJ Payne at par in the 191st pick, which is nothing to complain about. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
They paid a round early for Jack Kelly in No. 239, more than the board wanted. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Thaddeus Dixon at pick No. 241 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A real head-scratcher, Jordan White in pick 256 is miles ahead of his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.