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COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 27: Keldric Faulk #15 of the Auburn Tigers lines up on the line of scrimmage during the first half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Kyle Field on September 27, 2025 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/Getty Images) | Getty Images Let’s take a quick peek at a few mock drafts from around the interwebs to see what the experts have the Chicago Bears doing.
Most mocks early in the process had the Bears going defensive line, but lately, some have shifted to another Chicago need: the safety position. The latest from the USA Today has the Bears taking Emmanuel McNeil-Warren from Toledo at 25 overall.
Chicago lost Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard in free agency and still has a glaring need on the back end. Luckily, the board lines up with that need pretty well with McNeil-Warren, Toledo’s latest top defensive back prospect. He has the size and speed to hang in coverage and brings a hard-hitting edge in run defense as well.
After free agency, another starting safety is a glaring need for the Bears, and going that direction in the first round is definitely on the table. This is a fairly deep safety class, so if the Bears wait for day two (or trade back from 25), they could be decent value.
NFL.com also has the Bears in the McNeil-Warren business with one of their latest mock drafts.
With Kevin Byard (New England) and Jaquan Brisker (Pittsburgh) both gone in free agency, McNeil-Warren should entice the Bears as a long, rangy safety with true ball-hawking ability and the versatility to function as an apex defender. He fits the profile Chicago appears to value in this cycle: a tone-setter who can play through contact, erase space on the back end and take the ball away from multiple alignments.
If they stay and pick McNeil-Warren, he’d be an immediate starter next to Coby Bryant, and was comfortable playing closer to the line of scrimmage in college.
The latest from The Draft Network has the Bears going with Clemson defensive tackle Peter Woods.
The Chicago Bears need help stopping the run and a more impactful presence at the IDL position. Peter Woods is a player who has the skill to be an immediately impactful player, and in the right scheme, could play at a high level for the Bears.
His poor testing did not match the film, which shows an athletic penetrator on the interior of a defense.
Justin Melo from Sports Illustrated has the Bears going d-line, with 6’4”, 253-pound Malachi Lawrence.
UCF EDGE Malachi Lawrence attached a jetpack to his pre-draft stock via a rare showing at the NFL Combine. Lawrence ran a 4.52 and leaped a 40-inch vertical and 10-foot-10 broad jump, and has since received first-round buzz from scouts. He was also productive, with 19.5 sacks in three seasons. The Chicago Bears require upgrades at EDGE opposite Montez Sweat.
Lawrence would be an immediate contributor off the edge for the Bears as a pass rusher while he works on his run defense.
In his latest mock draft for Athlon Sports, Doug Farrar has the Bears taking defensive lineman,
Keldric Faulk from Auburn.
Here’s what Doug had to say about Faulk.
The 2025 Bears ranked 25th in Defensive DVOA despite a lot of talent at the linebacker and secondary positions — one could easily say that a blitz rate of 25.8%, combined with a pressure rate of 21.1%, was the primary culprit there. You never want to blitz more than you pressure, and personnel is an obvious issue. Auburn’s Keldric Faulk fell off for a lot evaluators in 2025 when he totaled just two sacks and 30 pressures after his nine-sack, 45-pressure season in 2024, but as with any prospect, you have to watch the tape to see what the issues may be.
In Faulk’s case, he was the primary focus for opposing blockers in 2025, to the point where he faced an unusual number of double-teams. Of course, you want your best pass-rusher to defeat those doubles, and Faulk did from time to time, but there’s also the matter of an NFL conditioning program and coaching making the most of what’s there. In Faulk’s case, I think there’s hidden potential that could be unleashed in the right environment.
The athletic Faulk (6’6”, 276) feels like a Dennis Allen defensive end, and at just 20 years old, he’s still a raw prospect coming into his own. But despite his age, he has a solid technique to build on.
CBS Sports recently ripped through a three-rounder, and here’s how they had it for the Bears.
Round 1, pick 25: Caleb Banks, DL, Florida – If Banks is healthy, he could be a top-10 pick. At 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds with 35-inch arms, he can take over games. The problem has been his inability to consistently stay on the field. If he’s cleared medically, Banks is a first-rounder all day long. If teams have questions, he could slip to Day 2 like Jer’Zhan Newton did a few years ago.
Round 2, pick 57: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Round 2, pick 60: Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri
Round 3, pick 89: Bud Clark, S, TCU
I wouldn’t hate this draft, although I don’t see Banks being a fit for the Bears’ scheme. He seems like a 5-tech end to me, and the Bears may be looking for twitchier one-gappers at defensive tackle.
