A-
Chicago Bears
Best value of the weekend goes to the Bears for Haulcy: A-.
by gp ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 6 steals
· 0 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how A.J. Haulcy got past him. The Bears do not have to explain a thing at the Round 3 slot. The sum of the weekend is a deserved A-.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through linebacker. The dealing nudged the ledger their way without much fuss.
They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Stockpiling next year's capital is patient, if unglamorous, asset work.
In short, they turned a good board into a better roster, and it shows.
Pick-by-Pick
Joshua Josephs in the Round 2 slot is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Caleb Banks in pick 57 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A.J. Haulcy at No. 89 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Jake Golday at the 97th pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Ja'Kobi Lane at slot 129 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They will replay Dallen Bentley at Round 7, Pick 5 for years; that is how good the value is. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Thaddeus Dixon in pick No. 239 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Jaydn Ott in the 241st overall pick lands just on the right side of the ledger. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.