{"id":477804,"date":"2026-02-13T17:46:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T17:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/477804\/"},"modified":"2026-02-13T17:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T17:46:08","slug":"new-2026-nfl-draft-grades-should-be-a-warning-for-chicago-bears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/477804\/","title":{"rendered":"New 2026 NFL Draft Grades Should be a Warning for Chicago Bears"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thanks to the Chicago Bears’ 2025 awakening on offense<\/a>, general manager Ryan Poles finds himself in uncharted territory: his first pick in the upcoming NFL draft will not be in the Top 20 selections. As a matter of fact, this is the first year since 2011 in which the Bears will not be selecting within the first twenty picks. Bears fans will have to adjust as they wait longer than usual on draft night to see who the newest Bear will be.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft marks the first time since 2011 that the #Bears<\/a> won’t have a top-20 pick in the draft.<\/p>\n

From bad play to trading the picks, that’s a super long stretch to think about. It’s a good problem to have picking late in Round 1. pic.twitter.com\/z1XixzpMLf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) February 11, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Armed with the No. 25 overall pick, Ryan Poles has some options. In fact, there are six Chicago Bears prospects for the 2026 NFL draft that would likely be hits<\/a>. However, the draft is always a crapshoot, especially for teams picking later in the first round. It’s hard to hit on these later picks, and now the Bears face a compounding problem: there may not be a single prospect worthy of a first-round selection by the time they’re on the clock.<\/p>\n

Matt Miller, an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, recently revealed every prospect in the 2026 NFL draft with a first-round grade<\/a>, and the number is shockingly low. According to Miller’s grade, only 11 prospects are worth a Top 32 selection. In the 2025 NFL draft, Miller had 13 prospects with a first-round grade, which was the lowest number he’d ever recorded. This 2026 class is shaping up to be even worse.<\/p>\n

With the Bears sitting at No. 25, these 11 players will almost certainly be off the board by the time Chicago is on the clock, but it gets worse. The defensive line is the biggest position of need for the Bears, and not only did zero defensive tackles earn a first-round grade, but the two defensive ends who did (David Bailey and Ruben Bain Jr.) are locks to be drafted within the first ten picks.<\/p>\n

This problem is a good problem for Ryan Poles<\/p>\n

This is a natural consequence of being a good football team. The home run prospects are all long gone by the time playoff teams find themselves on the clock, and they need to trust their scouting reports and their instincts if they’re going to find impact players. It’s a good problem to have. For Bears fans, they can take solace in the fact that Ryan Poles’ 2025 draft class was an absolute masterclass of finding top-tier talent in multiple rounds.<\/p>\n

Colston Loveland was considered by many draft analysts, including yours truly, to be the wrong pick for the Chicago Bears<\/a>. He ended up being Pro Football Focus’ top graded rookie of 2025. Ozzy Trapilo looked like a franchise left tackle until his truly unfortunate injury at the end of the Bears’ Wild Card victory over Green Bay. Luther Burden III and even seventh-round rookie Kyle Monangai both ended the year looking like budding stars at their positions.<\/p>\n

The highest-graded rookie in the 2025 season: <\/p>\n

COLSTON LOVELAND \ud83d\udc3b pic.twitter.com\/X7L2ZU9Hxz<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 PFF (@PFF) February 12, 2026<\/a>The Bottom Line<\/p>\n

Simply put, the duo of Ben Johnson and Ryan Poles has, in just one year, earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to finding and developing talent in the NFL draft. It may be tougher this year than it was in 2025 to hit on their picks, but Bears fans should relax, trust the plan, and let things play out on the field before having any major draft reactions.<\/p>\n

\"Chicago<\/p>\n

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

More Chicago Bears News:Bears’ Planned Stadium Location Chaos Just Got Even Messier<\/a>Why the Bears’ Salary Cap Situation isn’t Nearly as Bad as it Seems<\/a>Ranking the Top 6 Chicago Bears Prospects for the 2026 NFL Draft<\/a>One Fast Riser in 2026 NFL Draft That Every Bears Fan Should Know<\/a>