I think there's only one potential first-round outcome for the Bears that could shock the masses.
They have to fund another starting safety opposite Coby Bryant, and must add competition to both the interior and edge of their defensive line. However, there's one position where I think they could potentially ignore those weaknesses in round one: Cornerback.
. The Bears don't have a glaring weakness at corner, but their depth would really be tested if Jaylon Johnson or Kyler Gordon were to go down . They signed Cam Lewis to a two-year, $6 million deal to theoretically be his backup in the slot, but they still have paper-thin depth on the perimeter.. They no longer have Nahshon Wright, as he signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason. While he was a complete unknown entering the year, he wound up being one of the most pleasant surprises on the defensive side of the ball, playing 97% of the snaps. Who knows how much trust they have in Tyrique Stevenson, who relinquished his starting job to Wright. Even if they're holding out hope for a bounce-back season in that regard, he's entering a contract year, himself. He played great as a rookie in 2023, but hasn't done nearly enough to warrant an extension since that point. Terell Smith is back, and he showed promise over his first two seasons. However, putting him into the "complete unknown" category would be fair. He fits the size profile that Dennis Allen usually likes from his cover men, but has only six career starts and is coming off a torn patellar tendon that he suffered last preseason. He's also entering a contract year. Zah Frazier is also a complete unknown after missing his entire rookie season. The 2024 fifth-round pick has promise, and Al Harris showed a clear interest in him, but they can't count on him as anything other than a lottery ticket in 2026. Oh yeah, that's not to mention that Jaylon Johnson didn't look like himself last season. They don't know for certain whether it's a sign of an impending decline or whether it's due to the core muscle surgery he had in September. I lean the latter, but I wouldn't fault them for prioritizing insurance. They're paying him too much money to take the risk. While I wouldn't love the idea of drafting a corner in the first round , I could definitely see it happening.LSU corner Mansoor Delane ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his Pro Day today. That's huge for him, as the long speed was the only remaining question about him. He'll probably be long gone by pick 25. After Delane, University of Tennessee corners Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood are the two names to keep an eye on for Chicago. I could see a scenario where the Bears pull the trigger on either of them if they're on the board at pick 25. Both McCoy and Hood fit the billing of a Dennis Allen press-man cornerback. McCoy would probably be an easy top-half of the first-round guy if he didn't miss last season with an ACL tear. Meanwhile, Hood might not be as physically gifted , but that's not exactly a fair comparison. He's a physical corner that isn't afraid to get dirty in run support. He'd be a quality complement opposite Johnson.. While I think either could be on their to-do list for later in the draft , I don't see that being the move in the first. I can't say I'd agree with those outcomes under virtually any circumstance. You might say, "Well, did you expect them to draft Colston Loveland last year, did you?" No, I didn't. That's because I expected them to draft Tyler Warren, though. Not because I didn't expect them to draft a TE. As for last year's second-round pick of Luther Burden III , he was near the top of my wish list before day two started. Once Quinshon Judkins and TreyVeyon Henderson were plucked off the board, Burden was the next man up for me. They might not have had a huge hole at pass-catcher, but drafting someone with his talent at that point in the draft was a steal. Again, I wouldn't love them drafting a corner in the first. I'd prefer they address the trenches or draft one of the top three safeties in the class. However, I do think they will go with the BPA approach, and I wouldn't be surprised if a corner is at the top of their board when all is said and done.Jerry Markarian has been an avid Chicago Bears fan since 2010 and has been writing about the team since 2022. He has survived the 2010 NFC Championship Game, a career-ending injury to his favorite player , the Bears' 2013 season finale, a Double Doink, Mitchell Trubisky, Justin Fields, and Weeks 8-17 of the 2024 NFL season. Nevertheless, he still Bears Down!Updated 2026 NFL Draft Order: Full List of Picks in All Seven Rounds
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