B-
Chicago Bears
A solid, sensible weekend for the Bears: B-.
by gggg ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 2 steals
· 5 reaches
They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Jaleel Skinner, 191 picks early at slot 239.
On value alone, Trotter makes the weekend a net positive. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman. Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 25 they get a lockdown presence outside. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
Value said wait; Dani Dennis-Sutton in pick 57 says they were not listening. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They jumped the gun on Jadarian Price, taking him earlier than his grade liked. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wild overpay on Connor Lew in Round 2, Pick 30, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Josiah Trotter in the Round 3 slot, plain and simple. It fills a real need, too.
You do not let a wide receiver like Ja'Kobi Lane reach the 129th overall pick and blink. They did not. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Jaleel Skinner in Round 7, Pick 23 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Colbie Young at pick 241 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.