Chicago Bears 2026 NFL Draft updates: Tracking the latest draft news and notes

The Chicago Bears will start an important weekend when the NFL Draft opens in Pittsburgh on Thursday night.

For the first time in Ryan Poles’ tenure as Bears general manager, he’ll try to supplement a playoff roster instead of building from the ground up. Chicago took a major step in head coach Ben Johnson’s first season last year. Now they’ll try to fill some holes in order to return to the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2006.

Shaw Local will be covering all things Bears throughout the three days of the draft. Check back here for live updates.

[ Everything Chicago Bears fans need to know ahead of the 2026 NFL draft ]

Latest news for No. 25 pick

Poles and assistant general manager Jeff King made it clear when they met with reporters Thursday that the Bears could go in multiple different directions.

The Bears will have a best-player-available approach as they did last year when they chose tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 overall pick. King did say a position of need might be a priority when multiple prospects are graded the same way. But for the most part, the Bears plan to add more talent to the roster regardless of where they play.

They’ll also be prepared to move up or down if they want to get a specific prospect. Poles will have a second second-round pick to use as trade bait and said the Bears feel comfortable adjusting on the fly if they need to.

What are the Bears’ needs?

Even after reaching the playoffs last season for the first time since 2020, the Bears will have plenty of holes to fill over the next few days.

Most of those needs are on the defensive side of the ball. Poles will look for improvements on the defensive line both at the tackle and edge spots after the Bears struggled to stop the run and pressure quarterbacks for most of last season. Chicago will also be in need of another starting safety after signing Coby Bryant in free agency and letting last year’s starters Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leave this offseason.

Although the Bears have starters set at cornerback and linebacker, they could address those spots for the future.

Offense likely won’t be a priority like it was last year. But with left tackle Ozzy Trapilo’s future uncertain as he recovers from a patellar tendon injury, the Bears might address the spot as early as the first round.

How can I watch the draft?

The 2026 NFL Draft will be broadcast on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network. It also is available in Spanish on ESPN Deportes. It can be streamed with NFL Plus, the ABC app or the ESPN app.