Lance Zierlein’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft for NFL.com takes a practical approach to where the Chicago Bears stand as a contender, and why fixing the middle of the defense may matter just as much as edge rusher and safety.
With their first-round selection, Zierlein projects the Bears to land Caleb Banks, the dominant senior defensive tackle from Florida.
Banks is more than just a mammoth in the middle of the defense. He has an exciting ceiling as a potential three-down defender.
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Florida Gators defensive tackle Caleb Banks (88) celebrates recovering a fumble. Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images. | Bob Kupbens-Imagn Images
“With Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson all headed for free agency, Chicago figures to have a need at safety,” Zierlein wrote. “But the Bears also need to find a way to plug up the middle of their defensive front. Banks offers size, length and upside.”
The Bears’ safety situation isn’t great. Every safety on the roster — literally, every one — is scheduled to become a free agent, creating an obvious pressure point for GM Ryan Poles. But Zierlein’s projection suggests the Bears would be better suited focusing on a potential foundational starter at a position that’s traditionally harder to fill.
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The Chicago Bears’ defense, and particularly the interior defensive line, wasn’t a strength of the 2025 season. The Bears leaned heavily on turnovers to boost the defense’s narrative, but at some point, Dennis Allen’s group will start breaking more than it bends if they don’t add pieces like Banks to the defensive line.
The Bears can address safety through free agency. There’s a growing sentiment that Kevin Byard III will be re-signed, and even if Jaquan Brisker walks and another veteran can’t be had on the cheap, Chicago can use the second or even third round to land a potential rookie starter.
If the Chicago Bears are serious about building a roster that can sustain success, strengthening the defensive line (like how they did with the offensive line last offseason) should be the priority.
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