NFL mock draft 2.0: Chicago Bears add pass rush help in first round

The wait is almost over. After months of projecting who the Chicago Bears and other NFL team will select in next week’s draft, fans will finally get to see who will be a part of their team’s future.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles will face an interesting choice if he stays at No. 25 overall, or if he chooses to trade up or down. He’ll try to build upon a breakout season for the Bears under head coach Ben Johnson.

Poles could address various holes on defense, whether that’s on the defensive line or in the secondary, after he used his top draft capital on the offense last year. But he might also supplement to Johnson’s offense by selecting a left tackle for the future.

One thing has been clear about Poles’ approach heading into the draft: He’s taking the best player available. Although there are some positions that have more dire needs than others, Poles won’t shy away from taking the best players like he did with tight end Colston Loveland in the first round last year.

The draft will start on April 23 in Pittsburgh and continue over the next two days.

Shaw Local’s Michal Dwojak projects how the first round of this year’s draft will unfold. Below is his second and final mock draft.

Team	Player, position, college	Analysis
1. Raiders	Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana	The draft’s worst-kept secret will finally become fact Thursday. The Raiders will select who they believe can become their franchise quarterback.
2. Jets	Arvell Reese, Edge, Ohio State	The Jets could go in a bunch of different ways here, including potentially trading down. But they don’t mess around and choose Reese, who has the potential to be a game disruptor and a fixture of the defense’s future.
3. Cardinals	David Bailey, Edge, Texas Tech,	Like the Jets, the Cardinals will likely get calls from teams trying to move up into the top-three. Arizona decides to stick with the pick and go with Bailey, though it wouldn’t be a surprise to see an offensive tackle here.
4. Titans	Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame	With the top edge rushers off the board, the Titans go for it by selecting Love. They’ll pair last year’s No. 1 overall pick QB Cam Ward with an electric player like Love who can do more than just run the ball.
5. Giants	Sonny Styles, LB, Ohio State	Ohio State safety Caleb Downs could be an interesting option here. But new Giants head coach John Harbaugh goes with his Buckeye teammate Styles to lead his new defense in New York.
6. Chiefs (via mock trade with Browns)	Rueben Bain Jr., Edge, Miami	There’s been some smoke between Bain and the Chiefs for a good portion of the draft process. Kansas City doesn’t take any chances and moves up a few spots to grab their new pass rusher.
7. Commanders	Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State	After the Chiefs jump up to snag Bain, the Commanders give QB Jayden Daniels the draft’s top wide receiver. Tate will have potential to become a dynamic duo with Terry McLaurin.
8. Saints	Mansoor Delane, CB, LSU	New Orleans has an obvious need at cornerback after losing Alontae Taylor this offseason. With Bain and Tate off the board, the Saints pick up the best cornerback in the draft in the top-10.
9. Browns (via mock trade with Chiefs)	Francis Mauigoa, OT, Miami	The Browns’ plan goes off perfectly. They acquire draft capital from the Chiefs to move down a couple spots and Mauigoa is still on the board. Cleveland takes the tackle of its future.
10. Bengals	Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State	Some of the Bengals’ top prospects at edge and cornerback are taken by the time the draft gets to them. They’ll just have to settle by taking an elite defensive prospect who will be a staple of their secondary for years to come.
11. Dolphins	Spencer Fano, OT, Utah	Miami has a lot of different holes to fill as it rebuilds its roster. The Dolphins choose to go with an experienced offensive tackle in Fano who’s shown that he can play both at left and right tackle.
12. Cowboys	Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee	The board doesn’t fall the way the Cowboys want it to. After failing to trade up into the top-10, Dallas addresses an area of need and goes with McCoy, who’s considered the second-best corner in the draft.
13. Rams (via Falcons)	Makai Lemon, WR, USC	The Rams likely didn’t enter the offseason thinking they’d need to address wide receiver in the first round. But with uncertainty after Puka Nacua entered rehab and Davante Adams turning 34 late next season, Los Angeles looks to sure up its future at the spot.
14. Ravens	Olaivavega Ioane, OG, Penn State	Baltimore doesn’t overthink this and get too cute. The Ravens have needs in the interior of their offensive line and address those needs by taking the best interior lineman in the draft.
15. Buccaneers	Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon	Things go as well as Tampa Bay hopes during the first 14 picks. The Buccaneers follow the trend of going for an electric tight end in the first round and select Sadiq, who can become a big target for QB Baker Mayfield.
16. Jets (via Colts)	Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State	After addressing defense with their first pick, the Jets turn to the offense and snag quarterback Geno Smith another target behind Garrett Wilson. Tyson has some injury concerns but the Jets go after their WR2.
17. Lions	Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia	Detroit has an obvious need at left tackle with the departure of Taylor Decker. The Lions pick up Freeling and give him a chance to compete for the starting job with Larry Borom.
18. Vikings	Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon	Other than the Raiders picking Mendoza at No. 1, this has been the most consensus pick during the draft process. Thieneman fills a need the Vikings have at safety with the uncertainty of Harrison Smith’s future.
19. Panthers	Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo	The Panthers added to their defense this offseason by signing pass rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Devin Lloyd. They bring another top defender into the mix in the back of their secondary.
20. Cowboys (via Packers)	Akheem Mesidor, Edge, Miami	Dallas uses its first-round pick that it acquired from Green Bay for Micah Parsons to get a pass rusher for the future. Mesidor is on the older side at 25 but has experience to make an instant impact.
21. Steelers	Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana	It’s still up in the air whether Aaron Rodgers will come back as the Steelers’ quarterback. But Pittsburgh doesn’t bite at drafting his replacement and instead brings in a talented wide receiver.
22. Chargers	Keldric Faulk, Edge, Auburn	The interior of the offensive line is the Chargers’ biggest draft need. But since the board unfolded this way, they add to their pass rush after the departure of Odafe Oweh in free agency.
23. Eagles	Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama	The Eagles will need to make an addition for the future at right tackle with Lane Johnson turning 36 next month. Proctor is versatile and can play at both left and right tackle, giving Philadelphia a good option.
24. Browns (via Jaguars)	Denzel Boston, WR, Washington	Cleveland has been projected to end up with an offensive tackle and wide receiver in many mock drafts. The Browns end up with a good duo in this projection, ending up with a top prospect in Boston.
25. Bears	T.J. Parker, Edge, Clemson	Parker had an obvious dip in 2025, most notably falling to five sacks from 11 the previous season. But Parker has produced before and has the length, size and speed that could make him an interesting piece opposite Bears edge Montez Sweat.
26. Bills	KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M	An edge rusher would make sense here for the Bills. But even after trading for DJ Moore, Buffalo decides to give QB Josh Allen more talent by adding a speedster like Concepcion to the rotation.
27. 49ers	Caleb Lomu, OT, Utah	San Francisco is still working things out with starting left tackle Trent Williams. But even if he does return, Williams will turn 38 later this year and the 49ers will need someone for the future. That will give Lomu time to develop.
28. Cardinals (via mock trade with Texans)	Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama	The Cardinals don’t want to wait any longer and trade back into the first round to take who they hope can become their starting quarterback to replace Kyler Murray. Texans net themselves their third second-round pick.
29. Chiefs (via Rams)	Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee	After trading up to get Bain for their defensive line earlier in the first round, the Chiefs use the pick they acquired from trading Trent McDuffie to the Rams to find his replacement.
30. Dolphins (via Broncos)	Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State	Miami could go in a few different directions here after building its offensive line with its earlier pick. The Dolphins give defensive-minded head coach Jeff Hafley a playmaker in the secondary.
31. Patriots	Blake Miller, OT, Clemson	Although it was one game, it’s hard to get the image of QB Drake Maye under constant pressure in the Super Bowl out of your head. New England uses its first-round pick to ensure Maye’s protection.
32. Seahawks	Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame	The Seahawks might be tempted to trade out of this spot with just four draft picks this year to add to their stockpile. They stick around and pick up Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III’s replacement.