B-
Chicago Bears
Good, not great, for the Bears: B-.
by Grumpy Bear ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
The rest of the league had time to spare on Alex Harkey; the Bears did not wait, grabbing him 86 spots ahead at the 239th pick. The bottom line is a respectable B-.
The Golday pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch. The running back hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The McNeil-Warren pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with running back, cornerback and other spots still on the board.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 25th overall pick they get a rangy last line of defense at fair value. More want than need.
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at safety with running back, cornerback and other spots open.
Lee Hunter is a better player than slot 60 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
A top-tier edge rusher at a bargain, Jake Golday in No. 89, plain and simple. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
By-the-book stuff, Trey Zuhn III at pick 129 squarely in line with his ranking. A need, and now a little less of one.
Alex Harkey in pick No. 239 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Logan Taylor at No. 241 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.