B-
Chicago Bears
The Bears kept it disciplined and banked a B-.
by DA BEARS ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Chris McClellan at slot 89. The Bears jumped the board by 48 and dared it to prove them wrong. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
The Caldwell steal is the beam this whole class leans on. The running back spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. On the needs board they went 6 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but running back.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 25th overall pick they get a green-dot type in the middle. A real need, handled.
They reached a country mile for Malachi Lawrence at No. 57, and the board is aghast. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Dani Dennis-Sutton in slot 60 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They talked themselves into Chris McClellan at the 89th pick, and the board did not agree. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jalen Farmer in the Round 4 slot, miles early. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jeff Caldwell at Round 7, Pick 23 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
They did well to land Charles Demmings in slot 241, just ahead of his grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.