With the NFL Draft a little more than a month away, we reviewed a dozen recently updated mock drafts to see who pro football analysts are projecting the Bears will select with the 25th pick in the first round:
Charles Davis, NFL.com (March 5)
Pick: Texas Tech defensive tackle Lee Hunter
Comment: The Bears should continue to add to their defensive front, with Lee joining a rotation that includes Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett.
Nate Davis, USA Today (March 16)
Pick: Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Comment: Need a Monster of the Midway? How about a 6-foot-4, 200-pound DB with a penchant for big hits and finding the ball? And it certainly seems like the Bears could use one with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leaving the back line during free agency. McNeil-Warren and recently signed Coby Bryant could equate to a nice recovery plan.
Josh Edwards, CBS Sports (March 16)
Pick: Indiana receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Comment: Ben Johnson wants to be confident in the trio of receivers he has on the field at any given time. Luther Burden III really began to emerge toward the end of the season, but Chicago is leaving nothing to chance as it aims to prove last season was not an aberration. If you're a Bears fan questioning why the team would draft another receiver, I'd encourage you to think about the possibilities with Johnson pulling the strings.
Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times (March 17)
Pick: San Diego State cornerback Chris Johnson
Comment: The Bears need to upgrade at that spot opposite Jaylon Johnson.
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com (March 17)
Pick: Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Comment: McNeil-Warren has the size, length and playmaking ability to fill the void left by Jaquan Brisker -- in fact, I believe EMW would be an upgrade at the position.
Mel Kiper Jr., ESPN (March 17)
Pick: Missouri defensive end Zion Young
Comment: Montez Sweat had 10 sacks, but there wasn't much beyond him. Dayo Odeyingbo was signed last offseason to be the second guy off the edge, but he managed one sack over eight games before an Achilles injury ended his season. Despite struggling to find consistent quarterback pressure for a few years now, Chicago hasn't used a top-50 pick on an edge rusher since Leonard Floyd went ninth in 2016. Let's change that. Young had 6.5 sacks and 46 pressures last season, playing with power and a full-go motor. He'd bring some intensity to the Bears' front.
Justin Melo, Sports Illustrated (March 16)
Pick: Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell
Comment: Could the Chicago Bears still make a play for Maxx Crosby? If not, drafting an EDGE to play with Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo would make sense. Cashius Howell is undersized with arm-length deficiencies, but he's super athletic, having posted the best 10-yard split among EDGEs at the NFL Combine (1.58).
Garrett Podell, CBS Sports (March 13)
Pick: Georgia offensive tackle Monroe Freeling
Comment: Monroe Freeling could be Caleb Williams' new left tackle after being Georgia's full-time left tackle in 2025. The size and agility are there, and he's quick off the line of scrimmage, as evidenced by an excellent combine effort. Freeling needs to work on better connecting on his punches toward opposing defensive linemen, which could be aided by a more balanced foundation, but he's ready to roll in the run game. Ben Johnson will love that about him.
Mike Renner, CBS Sports (March 16)
Pick: Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
Comment: Akheem Mesidor can make an immediate impact. He can rush from both the edge and the interior, given his experience doing both in college.
Connor Rogers, NBC Sports (March 17)
Pick: Missouri defensive end Zion Young
Comment: I think NFL teams will be higher on Zion Young than media consensus. He's big, tough, plays his butt off snap after snap and took a giant leap as a pass rusher [last] year. The Bears will love that he's built for all three downs, while ascending at getting after the quarterback.
Ryan Wilson, CBS Sports (March 6)
Pick: Miami defensive lineman Akheem Mesidor
Comment: I don't care that Mesidor will be 25 before he plays his first NFL snap. If he's anything like he was in 2025 for Miami, the Bears will get five fantastic seasons out of him and can decide ahead of the 2030 season whether he's worth a second contract. For now, Montez Sweat is ecstatic.
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com (March 4)
Pick: Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 20 in trade with Cowboys
Comment: Ryan Poles gets aggressive and moves up the board to grab a long, rangy safety capable of laying the lumber or taking the ball away from a variety of alignments.
